EAST PEORIA, Ill. — Confirming speculation last week, Par-A-Dice Casino has officially launched its sports betting partnership with FanDuel Sportsbook.
It is only the third sports betting app in the state. The first two were BetRivers Casino and DraftKings, who partnered with Casino Queen in East St. Louis.
Current Illinois law requires hopeful bettors to register in-person before placing bets online. However, Gov. J.B. Pritzker has suspended that order because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The launch happened two weeks before NFL season, the most popular time for sports bettors to gamble.
When legislation was passed to allow sports betting in Illinois, there was an 18-month grace period that prevented sites like FanDuel and their competitors from operating in the state.
However, online sportsbooks have found a way around the grace period by partnering with brick-and-mortar casinos in the state.
Boyd Gaming, the company that owns Par-A-Dice, has an existing relationship with FanDuel. The two companies have launched four sportsbooks in Indiana and Iowa since 2018, according to Play Illinois.
