Illinois sports bettors have fewer options after state gaming regulators responded to a request from the NFL to eliminate specific lines from sportsbooks.
Last week, Illinois Gaming Board Administrator Marcus Fruchter announced that a request from the NFL for the state to ban specific bets deemed harmful to game integrity had been provisionally authorized. Fruchter instructed the state's licensed sportsbooks to halt betting lines related to player injuries, penalties, and officiating duties.
"I have determined that any wagering of the manner identified in the request poses a significant likelihood of serious risk to the integrity of the Illinois sports wagering industry,” Fruchter wrote in his order to retail and online sportsbooks. “Accordingly, I am suspending all such wagering in Illinois.”
Fruchter's suspension took effect last Thursday.
In a letter dated October 4, 2024, Jonathan Nabavi, the NFL's vice president for public policy and government relations, contacted the Illinois Gaming Board asking for the elimination of specific bets available in the state through its licensed sportsbooks. Fruchter’s list of banned bets also encompassed wagers related to fan safety, player wrongdoing, the initial play of the game, roster/personnel choices, a player missing a field goal or extra point, the quarterback’s opening pass, and any other bet where one player's actions can decide the result.
Nabavi mentioned that "offensive wagers" such as if a player will sustain an injury or fans behaving inappropriately are "intrinsically insulting" and "meant to provoke."
“These markets often are not directly related to gameplay or can have a negative impact on the consumer and player involved,” Nabavi wrote.
Nabavi stated that “the other bets where one player can influence the result pose the highest risk — or perceived risk — to the integrity of the game.”
In his appeal to have these bets banned, Nabavi referenced multiple other states that already restrict unacceptable betting, such as Arizona, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, and Vermont.
“There is no greater priority for the NFL than protecting the integrity of our games and the welfare of our players,” Nabavi continued. “Fans, players, coaches, and personnel deserve to know that we are doing everything possible to ensure no improper influences affect how our games are played and that we are taking all appropriate steps to ensure that their participation in our games is not subject to unfair and unwarranted allegations relating to sports gambling.”
Fruchter's suspension of problematic bets will stay effective until at least December 12, when the Illinois Gaming Board will next convene and may decide to make the pause permanent. Throughout the suspension, placing bets on such books is prohibited.
Illinois hosts one of the wealthiest sports wagering markets in the United States. Almost $4 billion was bet both in-person and online at Illinois sportsbooks from January to August 2024.
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