Online gambling operator PointsBet has launched its online, mobile and retail sportsbook offerings in the state of Illinois.
PointsBet’s sports betting website and mobile application will be available to players across the state, with players able to bet on a range of professional and collegiate sports.
PointsBet will also roll out a series of retail sportsbooks across the Chicagoland area of the state, including at the Hawthorne Race Course, which in July secured approval to push ahead with a $400m redevelopment project.
The racetrack, founded in 1891 and the longest-running legal gambling business in the state, will be transformed into a multi-dimensional gaming destination with slots, table games, pari-mutuel wagering and dining concepts.
The redeveloped Hawthorne Casino & Race Course is expected to open in late 2021, pending final licensing approvals.
Online bettors in Illinois will be required to sign up in person at Hawthorne Race Course in order to wager online with PointsBet in Illinois.
PointsBet’s other retail sportsbooks will operate as off-track betting facilities in Prospect Heights, Oakbrook Terrace, and Crestwood – all of which are located in Chicagoland.
“PointsBet possesses competitive advantages by owning our technology environment from end to end, such as unrivaled speed and ease of use on a personalized platform,” PointsBet USA chief executive Johnny Aitken said.
“We, together with our partner Hawthorne Race Course, are thrilled to provide the Illinois consumer with exactly what they’ve been craving.”
Hawthorne president and chief executive Tim Carey added: “There are a lot of good reasons why we chose to partner with PointsBet, but most importantly it’s their commitment to innovation and customer excitement.
“They truly know the passion and needs of the player and that has always been our focus in horseracing, just as it will be in the casino that we’re developing. Illinois gamblers are going to quickly realize PointsBet provides the best sports betting experience by far.”
Other features of PointsBet’s offering in Illinois will include offering best market prices for games involving the state’s Chicago Bears NFL team, as well as running its ‘Crowd Booster’ for certain Bears games.
In addition, PointsBet will use its new partnership with NBC Sports to promote its sports wagering services to punters in Illinois. This will include marketing its brand across regional NBC Sports channels in the state.
PointsBet, which also operates sportsbooks in New Jersey, Iowa, and Indiana, last week said it had raised a further AU$70.5m (£40.0m/€43.3m/US$51.3m) through the first stage of its fully underwritten entitlement offer. This came after it also generated AU$200m via a share placement.