A big change is coming to legal sports wagering in Illinois.
It's about to get easier after a tweak in the state gaming law takes effect this weekend, allowing people to sign up for sports betting accounts on their phones instead of driving to a casino or racetrack.
When Illinois sports betting was introduced in 2019, gamblers were required to sign up at brick and mortar casino sports books, which could then offer the types of mobile betting applications needed. That's where more than 95% of bets are placed.
The Sun Times reported that COVID-19 didn't seem to make a dent in sports betting in Illinois. The state is now considered one of the nation's top four sports betting markets. Gamblers are putting down an average of $156 every second.