104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 HB2878 Introduced , by Rep. Robert "Bob" Rita SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 230 ILCS 45/25-10230 ILCS 45/25-45 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. LRB104 07766 LNS 17811 b A BILL FOR 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 HB2878 Introduced , by Rep. Robert "Bob" Rita SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: 230 ILCS 45/25-10230 ILCS 45/25-45 230 ILCS 45/25-10 230 ILCS 45/25-45 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. LRB104 07766 LNS 17811 b LRB104 07766 LNS 17811 b A BILL FOR
104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 HB2878 Introduced , by Rep. Robert "Bob" Rita SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
230 ILCS 45/25-10230 ILCS 45/25-45 230 ILCS 45/25-10 230 ILCS 45/25-45
230 ILCS 45/25-10
230 ILCS 45/25-45
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.
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A BILL FOR
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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
104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 HB2878 Introduced , by Rep. Robert "Bob" Rita SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
230 ILCS 45/25-10230 ILCS 45/25-45 230 ILCS 45/25-10 230 ILCS 45/25-45
230 ILCS 45/25-10
230 ILCS 45/25-45
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.
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A BILL FOR
230 ILCS 45/25-10
230 ILCS 45/25-45
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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
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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
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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)
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.)
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