As Detroit Visits Chicago, We Ask: How Does Illinois Sports Betting Compare With Michigan?

With the Detroit Lions set to visit the Chicago Bears on Sunday, we in Michigan thought it was a good time to check in with our gambling industry friends in Illinois .

Michiganders love to pop over to Chicago for weekend trips. There’s great food and holiday shopping there. But after the two states launched sports betting in the same week last year, how is gambling going in Illinois compared with here in Michigan?

I exchanged messages with colleague Joe Boozell of PlayIllinois , who has the finger on his pulse of all things Illinois sports betting .

And soon, check out his work at PlayIllinois for the other part of this conversation, where we break down the Detroit and Chicago sports scene overall.

Let’s get to it! Michigan sports betting could be on cusp of big leap

Joe Boozell, PlayIllinois: How is the sports betting market unfolding in Michigan?

Matt Schoch, PlayMichigan: Things have gone very well here in Michigan since launching sports betting. The biggest headache was the wait, as sports betting launched at the Detroit casinos in March 2020 and online betting didn’t launch until January of this year.

That means this is the first full NFL season of betting , so I’m expecting huge numbers to come in for September.

Michigan won’t threaten Illinois for a spot in the top three U.S. states for sports betting handle yet, but that achievement could be coming down the line.I’d expect Michigan to set a record and approach $500 million in bets, and possibly even pass that barrier by the end of the season. That could especially happen as local-team interest drops off as the Lions struggle. Compared with Michigan, Illinois gambling still has access issues Matt Schoch: I know the numbers are huge in Illinois, but there have been some issues that way, ones that are continuing to affect the ceiling of the industry.So, let me get this straight: As of now, I can’t get an online sports betting account in Illinois unless I drive to a physical casino in the middle of a pandemic? Do I have that right? Joe Boozell: Got […]

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