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Illinois has tried to expand its gambling industry in many ways. In 2019, the state’s governor approved a casino right in the greater Chicago area. That same year, he signed the Sports Wagering Act into law to allow retail sportsbooks at casinos in the state, as well as online sports betting through casino partnerships.
The next logical step – and something for which casinos have advocated – is the legalization of igaming, including online casino games and online poker.
One of the Illinois online casino bills, HB2239, is on the House Gaming Committee's March 8 hearing schedule now.
However, the measure introduced by @egonzalezjr96 will have to compete for attention with VGT bills.^HF
1/2— Bonus.com (@BonusUpdate) March 2, 2023
For years, lawmakers have proposed the idea, but there has yet to be enough support to put any bills up for votes. Many industry analysts felt that 2023 would be the year to see it happen, the most optimistic they had been since 2019. Until they weren’t.
Earlier Movement
Illinois igaming bills got a late start in 2023, but that didn’t seem to matter. Illinois State Senator Cristina Castro proposed SB1656 and Representative Edgar Gonzalez Jr filed HB2239, companion bills that shared the title of the Internet Gaming Act. The goal was to legalize online poker and casino games.
They were standard online gaming bills, proposing casinos partner with igaming platforms and operators obtaining licenses. A 12%-15% taxed amount would go to the State Gaming Fund.
Both bills were introduced to their respective chambers on February 8, with the Senate bill receiving its first reading the same day. It quickly moved to the Assignments Committee, which sent it to the Executive Committee just a few days later. The House bill followed the same timeline, though it first went to the House Rules Committee, where it sat for 20 days before an assignment to the Gaming Committee.
The key was to get them into conversations, meaningful debate, and go for the second reading.
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https://www.legaluspokersites.com/news/illinois-online-poker-and-igaming-fails/39261/
