- DraftKings will now be part of the Illinois sports betting experience as they have entered the industry through a deal made with Casino Queen.
- The famous sportsbook will run the retail sports betting operations for Casino Queen and will now be eligible to open their application for mobile sports bettors by August rather than in December of 2021.
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – Casino Queen in Illinois will be working together with their new partner DraftKings to offer sports bettors in the area a new type of gambling experience.
The Casino Queen casino will now go by “DraftKings at Casino Queen.” The national sportsbook brand took matters into their own hands with this deal.
They would have originally needed to wait until December 2021 to launch their online platform to Illinoisans, but the company, along with FanDuel found a loophole in the rule and are using it to their advantage.
The Loophole
Retail locations in Illinois can launch their mobile sports betting platforms without the need to wait until almost 2022 to do so. Rivers Casino Des Plaines launched their mobile and internet sportsbook, BetRivers, in June becoming the first state-sanctioned online sports betting application in the history of the Land of Lincoln.
But now DraftKings is entering the game. They should be licensed by August to launch their mobile sportsbook as their application is pending.
With this partnership, other mobile sports betting companies have come to the realization that they should purchase at least the majority of an operational gaming facility in the state that they would then be able to launch their mobile sportsbooks as well their own retail sportsbook at any given gambling venue.
While DraftKings decided on Casino Queen, FanDuel is looking toward the Fairmount Race Track.
Other sports betting operators like PointsBet, William Hill, and Penn National (Barstool) could follow suit and be licensed to open mobile apps and retail locations through land-based deals as early as August.
There is no word as to how much this deal has cost DraftKings but with a $20 million fee to get a license to operate a retail sportsbook business, one could bet they wagered a lot of money on this deal in order to get their foot in the door of the Illinois sports betting industry.
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“We are excited to be working with Casino Queen to bring our premier sports betting experience to the state and its sports fans,” said Ezra Kucharz, DraftKings Chief Business Officer. “Through this collaboration, we have the opportunity to change how fans engage with the sports they love, while becoming a part of the fabric of Illinois’ rich sports culture.”
Let The Action Begin
The timing couldn’t be more perfect with sports coming back into play after the Coronavirus through the entire sports world and the world in general for a loop.
Major League Baseball (MLB) has resumed and the NFL will be starting in September. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker lifted the in-person registration for mobile sportsbooks that was required by law because of the outbreak of COVID-19.
This has allowed sports bettors in the Land of Lincoln to join mobile platforms from home and place their bets.
The entrance of these major sportsbooks like DraftKings will help not only the sports betting platforms to generate profits in their newest ventures but Illinois will profit from revenues as well.
Retail establishments like Casino Queen are happy to play an integral part in making this a reality for sports bettors in the state as sports betting becomes more and more popular throughout the nation.
“Casino Queen is thrilled to welcome DraftKings to Illinois, the St. Louis area, and our family. We believe this collaboration will enhance the Casino Queen iconic brand while introducing the sports betting industry leader to our state. Customers will consider only one choice for gaming and sports betting; DraftKings at Casino Queen,” said Terry Downey, President of DraftKings at Casino Queen.
Christina has been writing for different platforms for years. She has a particular interest in writing about any and all sports-related news. If there is a game on, she’s watching it. She has been writing for USAOnlineSportsbooks since 2019.
