Sports betting operator DraftKings would no longer have to wait for 18 months to get its products to the Illinois gaming market. The company recently signed a new sports betting deal with Casino Queen.

Illinois regulations don’t permit DraftKings

According to the gambling regulations of Illinois, online-only sports betting will only be allowed 18 months after the land-based casinos launch their offerings. There would only be three online-only operators in the state. However, DraftKings found a way to circumvent that ban. In a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) two weeks ago, the company detailed some of its plans for the Illinois sports betting market.

According to Sportico, the company mentioned that it has DraftKings “entered into a multi-year arrangement with Casino Queen Inc. for retail and online sportsbook services providing us access to the Illinois market.”  Note that the casino queen is an employee-owned venue in East St. Louis. It received a master betting license from the state authorities earlier in June.

How did DraftKings get entry into Illinois?

According to legislation, online-only operators can still come into the market but they have to partner with a local casino. They will also have to use the brand name of the local casino only. Therefore, when DraftKings launches its offering, it would be doing so bunder the Casino Queen brand name.

Crown IL Gaming LLC, an offshoot of DraftKings filed for a management service license with the Illinois Gaming Board. The filing suggests that the deal with Casino Queen can last between 5 to 10 years and will be an exclusive offering in the state. DraftKings will pay Casino Queen a fee based on the net gaming revenue it receives from the state.

Illinois has already seen the launch of its first online offering as the Rivers Casino Des Plaines launched BetRivers app in partnership with Rush Street Interactive.