The Illinois Gaming Board has set a deadline of December 3 this year for applications for three additional online-only sports betting operator licenses in the US state.
The licenses will be available to operators that do not currently hold a license in the state or only have a temporary operating permit.
In line with the Illinois Sports Wagering Act, only an initial three online-only licenses will be made available during the application process, which officially launched on August 5.
The board will formally notify the three successful applicants within 90 days of making a public announcement about the bids. Once named as a winning bidder, the applicant will have to pay a fee of $20m to secure the license.
The launch of the application process comes after the board last week reported a continued drop in sports betting handle for the third consecutive month in June, despite an increase in revenue.
Adjusted gaming revenue amounted to $47.5m, up 31.1% month-on-month from $36.2m in May, though the state’s handle was down 6.0% to $476.5m.
FanDuel and Fairmount Casino led the way with $20.2m in revenue, ahead of DraftKings’ partner Casino Queen on $13.6m and Midwest Gaming & Entertainment with Rush Street Interactive on $7.3m.
For retail betting, Rush Street’s Midwest Gaming and Entertainment led the way in AGR in June, posting $1.2m in revenue.