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Things have been flying high for Illinois sports betting news and the expectation was that things were only going to get better with some changes this summer. On July 1 of this year, it was expected that sports fans would be able to place online bets on in-state colleges. This had been illegal for quite some time. Well, the latest update hasn’t made too many people happy, as the Illinois online ban for sports betting on in-state colleges will be kept.
According to a report, the Senate met last week and voted unanimously to keep the ban from betting on the in-state colleges in place until July 1, 2024. So in essence, things have been pushed back by a year. This has upset a lot of people in the state, as they’ve wasted no time in going to Twitter to share their frustration. This past March and April, people were ready to check the March Madness odds online and bet on in-state programs.
The University of Illinois is a basketball powerhouse, with people hoping to bet on them in the future as well. However, we now know that online bets on the Fighting Illini for the next college basketball season will not be permitted. A lot of people are arguing that this is costing the state millions of dollars from a revenue standpoint, but lawmakers have made it clear they’re against people betting online for the outcomes of games when student-athletes are involved.
What has people a bit concerned here is that once next spring arrives, officials in the state could look to push things back another year. The sports betting numbers in Illinois have been high of late, but there’s no question that they could be even better if people could use mobile apps to place their wagers on their favorite college teams and players. At this point, it’s up in the air if changes will ever arrive in this case.
Illinois sports betting has been huge for the MLB season
While people are upset about the rules for college wagers, there’s no question that Illinois sports betting has been huge for the MLB season. Right now, countless wagers have been coming in on the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox. Both teams are in a bit of a rebuild, but they’re always going to bring in plenty of attention. With the Cubs in particular, Wrigley Field is one of the most iconic stadiums in the world.
Unfortunately for Cubs fans, the team is 24-31 on the year and in last place in the NL Central standings. The Cubbies entered the year with decent MLB betting odds to make a splash in the division, but they’ve looked a bit tough. However, that hasn’t stopped people from all over Illinois from betting on them in each contest. This will surely be the case for the rest of the season as well, especially with rival teams in town.
CLUTCH!@TreyMancini | https://t.co/iq0lKgoH7i pic.twitter.com/TSGjU5qnx0
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) May 31, 2023
As for MLB wagers as a whole, even though the Cubs aren’t in the mix of things, World Series betting is only going to keep on climbing once the second half of the season gets here. With the All-Star Game right around the corner, keep in mind that the MLB trade deadline will also be here before you know it too. Some huge trades should be on the way, as several teams will look to improve for a deep run in the postseason.
As things stand, the LA Dodgers hold the top World Series betting odds and the Atlanta Braves are right behind them. This is a bummer for everyone in Chicago, as the Dodgers and Cubs are two NL foes that not a lot of people in The Windy City are very fond of. For folks in Chicago, they would much rather see someone from the American League, like Houston or Tampa Bay, win it all.
The NFL campaign will be massive for Illinois betting
Looking ahead to later this summer and the fall, keep in mind that the NFL campaign will be massive for Illinois betting. In the state, the Chicago Bears are always going to have plenty of eyes on them and fans are ready to see what signal-caller Justin Fields will be able to do in 2023. The youngster has had plenty of ups and downs early on in his career, but he also has a ton of potential to be a star in this league too. So, what will he be able to get done in the future?
While the Bears might not hold strong Super Bowl odds heading into the new campaign, there’s a lot of excitement around this team, especially after the NFL Draft. In the NFC North, things feel like they’re going to be wide open, as Aaron Rodgers is no longer with the Green Bay Packers – he’s now suiting up for the Jets. The Bears have a great chance to win the division and you already know that people will be betting on that early and often once the season gets underway.
Justin Fields to D.J. Moore 😮💨
(🎥 @ChicagoBears)
pic.twitter.com/e1Orvy6qyp— PFF (@PFF) June 1, 2023
