Circa Sports is finally getting the license that will enable it to launch sports betting in Illinois. As the company announced earlier this month, the launch should take place in a few months, in Q3 this year. 

However, according to the most recent information, the launch is planned for August, just before the football season officially starts.

Long-awaited decision:

The long-anticipated expansion to another U.S. market is almost over for a reliable sports betting operator from Nevada, and the grand opening will be held soon after almost a year of waiting. 

The operator applied for the Illinois license a year ago, in May 2022. The process finally paid off, and the license was approved last week, as the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) confirmed. This means Circa Sports will be joining seven sports betting operators that already have the right to operate in the state.

Circa will begin its Illinois journey in “The Temporary”‘ casino in Waukegan, which will provide Circa with the place to operate its sportsbook while the company establishes final retail and online solutions. The company joined forces with Fun House Entertainment to provide its customers with fantastic sports betting sites for the American Place Casino, which is planned to be built. 

The Temporary was opened earlier this year, and it is still in a probationary period. IGB regulations require the casino to complete this stage in order to get nonrestricted licenses that will allow them to operate sportsbooks, so Circa will have to wait until August to actually appear on the market.

Circa Sports: a story of success:

Circa Sports was founded in 2019 by casino owner and developer Derek Stevens. Since then, the company has grown and become very successful. It currently operates inside three popular casinos: Circa Hotel & Casino, The D Las Vegas, and the Golden Gate. The company offers many sorts of various sports betting choices, all of that with an accent on user-friendly environments. 

Colorado and Iowa markets also have access to the company’s mobile app. 

Despite gaining the license for operating in Illinois being a huge success, this will also be one of the bigger challenges the company faced over the years. Many famous operators are present on the market, such as FanDuel, DraftKings, Barstool Sportsbook, BetRivers, Caesars, PointsBet, and BetMGM, so the competition will be strong. Almost $2 billion in handle flowed through the Illinois casinos in January and February this year, so the market is very popular among gamblers.

Possible approval of online college sports betting:

And it seems its popularity will only increase if the bill HB 4041 to allow online college sports betting is approved. This would be a huge step for 13 college sports teams. Last week, the House Gaming Committee read the bill for the first time.

Since 2019, when the state approved sports betting, wagering on college teams has been available only in retail casinos. However, Rep. Jonathan Carrol, who filed the bill, thinks that the revenue earned from college sports betting could be 20% higher if online wagering becomes legal.