PointsBet opens new retail sportsbook in Villa Park, Illinois
As part of its deal with Hawthorne Race Course, PointsBet Sportsbook marks the fourth retail venue for the company in the state.
US.- PointsBet has announced the opening of its newest retail sportsbook in Villa Park, Illinois. Located at Club Hawthorne, the PointsBet Sportsbook marks the fourth retail location for the company in the state as part of its deal with Hawthorne Race Course, which hosts the largest network of off-track betting bars for horse racing in Illinois.
The new sportsbook is located inside the Crazy Pour Sports Bar at Club Hawthorne. The 15,000-square-foot, full-service restaurant features more than 160 high-resolution TVs, including a 26-foot-wide HD display, five 160″ jumbo displays, and an LED sports ticker. The venue also offers a private party and VIP room, and a covered heated patio.
At the sportsbook, bettors can place cash wagers at three betting windows or at eight self-service kiosks.
PointsBet USA CEO Johnny Aitken said: “With a full roster of NFL playoffs, NBA, and NHL games, we couldn’t be more excited to be offering a new destination for Illinois sports fans to enjoy and bet on their favorite sports.
“The PointsBet Retail Sportsbook is part of PointsBet’s continued efforts to expand our footprint in a key state like Illinois, and we’re thrilled to be able to provide the Illinois sports community with another premier location that caters to both sports fans and bettors – and everyone in between.”
Tim Carey, CEO of Hawthorne Race Course, added: “There’s nowhere else in Chicagoland where you can bet on sports, horse racing and video slots. Only Club Hawthorne betting bars have it all. We’re building an integrated on-site entertainment experience with great food and drinks, and excellent service for the next generation of sports fans.”
Recently, PointsBet, NBC Sports Philadelphia and NBC Sports Philadelphia Plus announced that BetCast would cover four Philadelphia 76ers games from BC Sports Philadelphia Plus between December 2 and March. It broadcasts matches against the Grizzlies in Memphis and against Detroit, Orlando, and Indiana.
PointsBet integrated the sports betting service and content hub IMG Arena’s Golf Event Centre into its app to offer more golf betting options. IMG Arena’s Golf Event Centre offers more than 35,000 betting markets per tournament, including the distance of the longest drive, total putts on the next hole, next hole score, and closest to the pin.
Illinois sports bettors wager new record in October
Illinois sportsbooks took $1.03bn in bets in October, a 24 per cent increase from September’s handle of $831.8m. The figure reported by the Illinois Gaming Board makes Illinois the fourth US state to exceed $1bn in monthly bets, after Nevada, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.
The online sports betting handle was up 23 per cent year-on-year to $989.3m, accounting for 96 per cent of the handle. Retail betting was up by 9 per cent to $40.3m. The numbers were boosted by the first full month of NFL games. Football was the most popular sport to bet on, with a handle of $358m, followed by basketball ($114m) and tennis ($85m).
