Bill Text: IL HB2878 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Amends the Sports Wagering Act. Provides that applicants for a master sports wagering license shall pay an application fee of $250,000 and a license fee of $15,000,000. Removes provisions concerning the number of master sports wagering licenses to online sports wagering operators and public notice requirements. Provides that a master sports wagering licensee may conduct sports wagering over the Internet or through a mobile application. Removes provisions concerning eligibility requirements for a master sports wagering license, the duty of disclosure for an applicant, and outreach requirements for the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and the Illinois Gaming Board. Makes a conforming change. Effective immediately.
Sponsorship: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced) 2025-04-10 - Added Co-Sponsor Rep. Ryan Spain [HB2878 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2025-HB2878-Introduced.html
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | AN ACT concerning gaming.
| |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | represented in the General Assembly:
| |||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Section 5. The Sports Wagering Act is amended by changing | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Sections 25-10 and 25-45 as follows:
| |||||||||||||||||||||
| 6 | (230 ILCS 45/25-10) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Sec. 25-10. Definitions. As used in this Act: | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | "Adjusted gross sports wagering receipts" means a master | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 9 | sports wagering licensee's gross sports wagering receipts, | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | less winnings paid to wagerers in such games. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 11 | "Athlete" means any current or former professional athlete | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 12 | or collegiate athlete. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 13 | "Board" means the Illinois Gaming Board. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 14 | "Covered persons" includes athletes; umpires, referees, | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 15 | and officials; personnel associated with clubs, teams, | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 16 | leagues, and athletic associations; medical professionals | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 17 | (including athletic trainers) who provide services to athletes | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 18 | and players; and the family members and associates of these | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 19 | persons where required to serve the purposes of this Act. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 20 | "Department" means the Department of the Lottery. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 21 | "Gaming facility" means a facility at which gambling | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 22 | operations are conducted under the Illinois Gambling Act, | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 23 | pari-mutuel wagering is conducted under the Illinois Horse | |||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | Racing Act of 1975, or sports wagering is conducted under this | ||||||
| 2 | Act. | ||||||
| 3 | "Official league data" means statistics, results, | ||||||
| 4 | outcomes, and other data related to a sports event obtained | ||||||
| 5 | pursuant to an agreement with the relevant sports governing | ||||||
| 6 | body, or an entity expressly authorized by the sports | ||||||
| 7 | governing body to provide such information to licensees, that | ||||||
| 8 | authorizes the use of such data for determining the outcome of | ||||||
| 9 | tier 2 sports wagers on such sports events. | ||||||
| 10 | "Organization licensee" has the meaning given to that term | ||||||
| 11 | in the Illinois Horse Racing Act of 1975. | ||||||
| 12 | "Owners licensee" means the holder of an owners license | ||||||
| 13 | under the Illinois Gambling Act. | ||||||
| 14 | "Person" means an individual, partnership, committee, | ||||||
| 15 | association, corporation, or any other organization or group | ||||||
| 16 | of persons. | ||||||
| 17 | "Personal biometric data" means an athlete's information | ||||||
| 18 | derived from DNA, heart rate, blood pressure, perspiration | ||||||
| 19 | rate, internal or external body temperature, hormone levels, | ||||||
| 20 | glucose levels, hydration levels, vitamin levels, bone | ||||||
| 21 | density, muscle density, and sleep patterns. | ||||||
| 22 | "Prohibited conduct" includes any statement, action, and | ||||||
| 23 | other communication intended to influence, manipulate, or | ||||||
| 24 | control a betting outcome of a sporting contest or of any | ||||||
| 25 | individual occurrence or performance in a sporting contest in | ||||||
| 26 | exchange for financial gain or to avoid financial or physical | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | harm. "Prohibited conduct" includes statements, actions, and | ||||||
| 2 | communications made to a covered person by a third party, such | ||||||
| 3 | as a family member or through social media. "Prohibited | ||||||
| 4 | conduct" does not include statements, actions, or | ||||||
| 5 | communications made or sanctioned by a team or sports | ||||||
| 6 | governing body. | ||||||
| 7 | "Qualified applicant" means an applicant for a license | ||||||
| 8 | under this Act whose application meets the mandatory minimum | ||||||
| 9 | qualification criteria as required by the Board. | ||||||
| 10 | "Sporting contest" means a sports event or game on which | ||||||
| 11 | the State allows sports wagering to occur under this Act. | ||||||
| 12 | "Sports event" means a professional sport or athletic | ||||||
| 13 | event, a collegiate sport or athletic event, a motor race | ||||||
| 14 | event, or any other event or competition of relative skill | ||||||
| 15 | authorized by the Board under this Act. | ||||||
| 16 | "Sports facility" means a facility that hosts sports | ||||||
| 17 | events and holds a seating capacity greater than 17,000 | ||||||
| 18 | persons, except in a municipality with a population of more | ||||||
| 19 | than 1,000,000, a seating capacity greater than 10,000 | ||||||
| 20 | persons. | ||||||
| 21 | "Sports governing body" means the organization that | ||||||
| 22 | prescribes final rules and enforces codes of conduct with | ||||||
| 23 | respect to a sports event and participants therein. | ||||||
| 24 | "Sports wagering" means accepting wagers on sports events | ||||||
| 25 | or portions of sports events, or on the individual performance | ||||||
| 26 | statistics of athletes in a sports event or combination of | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | sports events, by any system or method of wagering, including, | ||||||
| 2 | but not limited to, in person or over the Internet through | ||||||
| 3 | websites and on mobile devices. "Sports wagering" includes, | ||||||
| 4 | but is not limited to, single-game bets, teaser bets, parlays, | ||||||
| 5 | over-under, moneyline, pools, exchange wagering, in-game | ||||||
| 6 | wagering, in-play bets, proposition bets, and straight bets. | ||||||
| 7 | "Sports wagering account" means a financial record | ||||||
| 8 | established by a master sports wagering licensee for an | ||||||
| 9 | individual patron in which the patron may deposit and withdraw | ||||||
| 10 | funds for sports wagering and other authorized purchases and | ||||||
| 11 | to which the master sports wagering licensee may credit | ||||||
| 12 | winnings or other amounts due to that patron or authorized by | ||||||
| 13 | that patron. | ||||||
| 14 | "Tier 1 sports wager" means a sports wager that is | ||||||
| 15 | determined solely by the final score or final outcome of the | ||||||
| 16 | sports event and is placed before the sports event has begun. | ||||||
| 17 | "Tier 2 sports wager" means a sports wager that is not a | ||||||
| 18 | tier 1 sports wager. | ||||||
| 19 | "Wager" means a sum of money or thing of value risked on an | ||||||
| 20 | uncertain occurrence. | ||||||
| 21 | "Winning bidder" means a qualified applicant for a master | ||||||
| 22 | sports wagering license chosen through the competitive | ||||||
| 23 | selection process under Section 25-45. | ||||||
| 24 | (Source: P.A. 101-31, eff. 6-28-19; 102-689, eff. 12-17-21.)
| ||||||
| 25 | (230 ILCS 45/25-45) | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | Sec. 25-45. Master sports wagering license issued to an | ||||||
| 2 | online sports wagering operator. | ||||||
| 3 | (a) The Board may issue master sports wagering licenses to | ||||||
| 4 | persons to conduct sports wagering over the Internet or | ||||||
| 5 | through a mobile application. The Board shall issue 3 master | ||||||
| 6 | sports wagering licenses to online sports wagering operators | ||||||
| 7 | for a nonrefundable license fee of $20,000,000 pursuant to an | ||||||
| 8 | open and competitive selection process. The master sports | ||||||
| 9 | wagering license issued under this Section may be renewed | ||||||
| 10 | every 4 years upon payment of a $1,000,000 renewal fee. To the | ||||||
| 11 | extent permitted by federal and State law, the Board shall | ||||||
| 12 | actively seek to achieve racial, ethnic, and geographic | ||||||
| 13 | diversity when issuing master sports wagering licenses under | ||||||
| 14 | this Section and encourage minority-owned businesses, | ||||||
| 15 | women-owned businesses, veteran-owned businesses, and | ||||||
| 16 | businesses owned by persons with disabilities to apply for | ||||||
| 17 | licensure. | ||||||
| 18 | For the purposes of this subsection (a), "minority-owned | ||||||
| 19 | business", "women-owned business", and "business owned by | ||||||
| 20 | persons with disabilities" have the meanings given to those | ||||||
| 21 | terms in Section 2 of the Business Enterprise for Minorities, | ||||||
| 22 | Women, and Persons with Disabilities Act. | ||||||
| 23 | (b) Applicants shall pay to the Board a nonrefundable | ||||||
| 24 | application fee in the amount of $250,000. The initial license | ||||||
| 25 | fee for a master sports wagering license issued to an online | ||||||
| 26 | sports wagering operator is $15,000,000. The master sports | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | wagering license is valid for 4 years. Applications for the | ||||||
| 2 | initial competitive selection occurring after the effective | ||||||
| 3 | date of this Act shall be received by the Board within 540 days | ||||||
| 4 | after the first license is issued under this Act to qualify. | ||||||
| 5 | The Board shall announce the winning bidders for the initial | ||||||
| 6 | competitive selection within 630 days after the first license | ||||||
| 7 | is issued under this Act, and this time frame may be extended | ||||||
| 8 | at the discretion of the Board. | ||||||
| 9 | (c) A licensee may renew the master sports wagering | ||||||
| 10 | license for a period of 4 years by paying a $1,000,000 renewal | ||||||
| 11 | fee to the Board. The Board shall provide public notice of its | ||||||
| 12 | intent to solicit applications for master sports wagering | ||||||
| 13 | licenses under this Section by posting the notice, application | ||||||
| 14 | instructions, and materials on its website for at least 30 | ||||||
| 15 | calendar days before the applications are due. Failure by an | ||||||
| 16 | applicant to submit all required information may result in the | ||||||
| 17 | application being disqualified. The Board may notify an | ||||||
| 18 | applicant that its application is incomplete and provide an | ||||||
| 19 | opportunity to cure by rule. Application instructions shall | ||||||
| 20 | include a brief overview of the selection process and how | ||||||
| 21 | applications are scored. | ||||||
| 22 | (d) A master sports wagering licensee may conduct sports | ||||||
| 23 | wagering over the Internet or through a mobile application. To | ||||||
| 24 | be eligible for a master sports wagering license under this | ||||||
| 25 | Section, an applicant must: (1) be at least 21 years of age; | ||||||
| 26 | (2) not have been convicted of a felony offense or a violation | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | of Article 28 of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the Criminal Code | ||||||
| 2 | of 2012 or a similar statute of any other jurisdiction; (3) not | ||||||
| 3 | have been convicted of a crime involving dishonesty or moral | ||||||
| 4 | turpitude; (4) have demonstrated a level of skill or knowledge | ||||||
| 5 | that the Board determines to be necessary in order to operate | ||||||
| 6 | sports wagering; and (5) have met standards for the holding of | ||||||
| 7 | a license as adopted by rules of the Board. | ||||||
| 8 | The Board may adopt rules to establish additional | ||||||
| 9 | qualifications and requirements to preserve the integrity and | ||||||
| 10 | security of sports wagering in this State and to promote and | ||||||
| 11 | maintain a competitive sports wagering market. After the close | ||||||
| 12 | of the application period, the Board shall determine whether | ||||||
| 13 | the applications meet the mandatory minimum qualification | ||||||
| 14 | criteria and conduct a comprehensive, fair, and impartial | ||||||
| 15 | evaluation of all qualified applications. | ||||||
| 16 | (e) (Blank). The Board shall open all qualified | ||||||
| 17 | applications in a public forum and disclose the applicants' | ||||||
| 18 | names. The Board shall summarize the terms of the proposals | ||||||
| 19 | and make the summaries available to the public on its website. | ||||||
| 20 | (f) (Blank). Not more than 90 days after the publication | ||||||
| 21 | of the qualified applications, the Board shall identify the | ||||||
| 22 | winning bidders. In granting the licenses, the Board may give | ||||||
| 23 | favorable consideration to qualified applicants presenting | ||||||
| 24 | plans that provide for economic development and community | ||||||
| 25 | engagement. To the extent permitted by federal and State law, | ||||||
| 26 | the Board may give favorable consideration to qualified | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | applicants demonstrating commitment to diversity in the | ||||||
| 2 | workplace. | ||||||
| 3 | (g) (Blank). Upon selection of the winning bidders, the | ||||||
| 4 | Board shall have a reasonable period of time to ensure | ||||||
| 5 | compliance with all applicable statutory and regulatory | ||||||
| 6 | criteria before issuing the licenses. If the Board determines | ||||||
| 7 | a winning bidder does not satisfy all applicable statutory and | ||||||
| 8 | regulatory criteria, the Board shall select another bidder | ||||||
| 9 | from the remaining qualified applicants. | ||||||
| 10 | (h) (Blank). Nothing in this Section is intended to confer | ||||||
| 11 | a property or other right, duty, privilege, or interest | ||||||
| 12 | entitling an applicant to an administrative hearing upon | ||||||
| 13 | denial of an application. | ||||||
| 14 | (i) (Blank). Upon issuance of a master sports wagering | ||||||
| 15 | license to a winning bidder, the information and plans | ||||||
| 16 | provided in the application become a condition of the license. | ||||||
| 17 | A master sports wagering licensee under this Section has a | ||||||
| 18 | duty to disclose any material changes to the application. | ||||||
| 19 | Failure to comply with the conditions or requirements in the | ||||||
| 20 | application may subject the master sports wagering licensee | ||||||
| 21 | under this Section to discipline, including, but not limited | ||||||
| 22 | to, fines, suspension, and revocation of its license, pursuant | ||||||
| 23 | to rules adopted by the Board. | ||||||
| 24 | (j) (Blank). The Board shall disseminate information about | ||||||
| 25 | the licensing process through media demonstrated to reach | ||||||
| 26 | large numbers of business owners and entrepreneurs who are | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | minorities, women, veterans, and persons with disabilities. | ||||||
| 2 | (k) (Blank). The Department of Commerce and Economic | ||||||
| 3 | Opportunity, in conjunction with the Board, shall conduct | ||||||
| 4 | ongoing, thorough, and comprehensive outreach to businesses | ||||||
| 5 | owned by minorities, women, veterans, and persons with | ||||||
| 6 | disabilities about contracting and entrepreneurial | ||||||
| 7 | opportunities in sports wagering. This outreach shall include, | ||||||
| 8 | but not be limited to: | ||||||
| 9 | (1) cooperating and collaborating with other State | ||||||
| 10 | boards, commissions, and agencies; public and private | ||||||
| 11 | universities and community colleges; and local governments | ||||||
| 12 | to target outreach efforts; and | ||||||
| 13 | (2) working with organizations serving minorities, | ||||||
| 14 | women, and persons with disabilities to establish and | ||||||
| 15 | conduct training for employment in sports wagering. | ||||||
| 16 | (l) (Blank). The Board shall partner with the Department | ||||||
| 17 | of Labor, the Department of Financial and Professional | ||||||
| 18 | Regulation, and the Department of Commerce and Economic | ||||||
| 19 | Opportunity to identify employment opportunities within the | ||||||
| 20 | sports wagering industry for job seekers and dislocated | ||||||
| 21 | workers. | ||||||
| 22 | (m) By March 1, 2020, the Board shall prepare a request for | ||||||
| 23 | proposals to conduct a study of the online sports wagering | ||||||
| 24 | industry and market to determine whether there is a compelling | ||||||
| 25 | interest in implementing remedial measures, including the | ||||||
| 26 | application of the Business Enterprise Program under the | ||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| 1 | Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women, and Persons with | ||||||
| 2 | Disabilities Act or a similar program to assist minorities, | ||||||
| 3 | women, and persons with disabilities in the sports wagering | ||||||
| 4 | industry. | ||||||
| 5 | As a part of the study, the Board shall evaluate race and | ||||||
| 6 | gender-neutral programs or other methods that may be used to | ||||||
| 7 | address the needs of minority and women applicants and | ||||||
| 8 | minority-owned and women-owned businesses seeking to | ||||||
| 9 | participate in the sports wagering industry. The Board shall | ||||||
| 10 | submit to the General Assembly and publish on its website the | ||||||
| 11 | results of this study by August 1, 2020. | ||||||
| 12 | If, as a result of the study conducted under this | ||||||
| 13 | subsection (m), the Board finds that there is a compelling | ||||||
| 14 | interest in implementing remedial measures, the Board may | ||||||
| 15 | adopt rules, including emergency rules, to implement remedial | ||||||
| 16 | measures, if necessary and to the extent permitted by State | ||||||
| 17 | and federal law, based on the findings of the study conducted | ||||||
| 18 | under this subsection (m). | ||||||
| 19 | (Source: P.A. 101-31, eff. 6-28-19.)
| ||||||
| 20 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||||||
| 21 | becoming law. | ||||||