“The BetRivers Sportsbook will take March Madness out of the office pool and into an exciting, elevated live sports wagering experience,” said Corey Wise, senior vice president and general manager of Rivers Casino. Former Chicago Blackhawks forward and current NHL on NBC and NBC Sports Chicago hockey analyst Eddie Olczyk will join Rivers Casino CEO John Carlin and Rush Street Gaming Chairman Neil Bluhm in placing the ceremonial first bet. Illinois will become the 15th state to accept legal wagers for sports betting when counting mobile and retail sportsbooks and will edge out Michigan, which is set to take its first bets Wednesday.

The IGB also updated the wagering status of Midwest Gaming & Entertainment, LLC - which filed for the sports betting owners license doing business as Rivers Casino - to “provisionary.” The Illinois Gaming Board has been in high gear since releasing the applications and initial rules package in December, and Rivers Casino - one of five casinos in Illinois to have been granted a temporary Master Sports Wagering operating permit and the only one in Illinois to have a temporary operating permit as a Management Services Provider - has apparently won the race to be the first to offer legal sports betting in the Land of Lincoln. Pritzker signed a massive capital gaming bill into law. Sports betting became legal in June 2019 after Illinois Governor J.B. Sports betting in Illinois will officially launch Monday following Friday’s announcement by Rivers Casino in Des Plaines that it will begin accepting wagers at noon CT.

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