Illinois

Penn National Gaming has received approval from the Illinois Gaming Board following its application to offer mobile sports wagering in the Prairie State.

Following on from the receipt of sports betting and igaming market access in New York via a strategic 20-year partnership with Rivers Casino & Resort Schenectady, inked last month, PNG is eyeing its latest digital expansion.

This will come via plans to launch its Barstool Sportsbook mobile app on iOS and android, as well as for desktop users, at 12:00pm CST on March 11, 2021.

“We are extremely excited to launch our online Barstool Sportsbook in Illinois just as the college basketball regular season wraps up and bettors begin their preparations for March Madness,” explained Jay Snowden, president and CEO of Penn National

“Dan ‘Big Cat’ Katz started Barstool Chicago in 2012 and has worked with Chief, Eddie, Carl, and ‘White Sox’ Dave to develop a tremendous following across the state by covering all things Windy City through daily blogs and social media content, including the immensely popular ‘Red Line Radio’ podcast. 

“As the only gaming operator with a fully integrated sports media and entertainment partner, our customers in Illinois will now be able to engage with these Barstool personalities through the online Barstool Sportsbook and enjoy their unique take on Chicago sports.”

Last month, the operator praised the “tremendous growth” of its interactive division as playing a key role in striving to offset retail-based losses brought about via COVID-19 mitigation efforts.

An increasingly positive performance of its Hollywood Casino igaming product in Pennsylvania, strong showing at its 16 retail sportsbooks, and the introduction of the Barstool Sportsbook mobile app, were identified as key facets in driving the digital growth.

PNG expects to offer a number of promotional bets during the launch of the mobile Barstool Sportsbook in Illinois, including odds boosts on the Cubs and White Sox to win the 2021 World Series.

“On behalf of the Penn Interactive team and our partners at Barstool Sports, I want to thank the IGB for their approval of our online sports betting application,” added Snowden. 

“Alongside our risk management and platform providers, Kambi and White Hat Gaming, we have developed an online sports betting app which is attracting new and existing Penn National customers as evidenced by our performance to-date in Michigan and Pennsylvania. 

“We are eager to leverage the building momentum for the Barstool Sportsbook app with our launch in Illinois and the additional launches we have planned for 2021.”