Ahead of the Super Bowl, one of sports betting’s biggest days, the Illinois Gaming Board made permanent Thursday what had been a temporary ban on certain types of NFL sports wagering.
Licensed sports wagering operators will now continue to be prohibited from offering bets relating to player injuries, fan safety, player misconduct, penalties, replay results, officiating assignments, the first play of the game, a player missing a field goal or an extra point, the quarterback’s first pass to be incomplete and any other wagers that can hurt consumers, players and game integrity.
The board initiated a temporary ban on such bets last October at the request of the National Football League.
Despite the NFL’s request, the board will not continue to limit betting on non-game day roster decisions, such as the NFL draft and pre-agency signings or trades. Instead, in a modification of the October decision, those types of bets will be prohibited only on game days.
If non-game day wagers were found to compromise the integrity of the game, the board would work with the NFL to make its policy include those bets, said Gaming Board Administrator Marcus Fruchter.
“That is an issue that we would take head-on, but not something that we’re going to include in this particular prohibition,” Fruchter said.
Sports gambling businesses that violate the rules could have their license revoked.
“I think it’s important for the NFL to maintain the integrity of its sports,” Gaming Board Chairman Charles Schmadeke said. “It’s obviously important for this board to maintain the integrity of sports gaming. I think this proposal accomplishes the goals of both organizations, and I thank the NFL for its efforts.”
NFL Vice President of Public Policy and Government Affairs Jonathan Nabavi, who joined the meeting virtually from New Orleans, said the league supported the board’s decision and appreciates “this open door and the opportunity for that collaboration.”
Nabavi said in October that numerous other states, including Indiana, Michigan and Ohio, have already taken action against the negative wagers.
The board last year also prohibited betting on red and yellow cards in Major League Soccer games.
The state’s gaming industry generated over $1.7 billion in state tax revenue from January through November 2024, with sports wagering bringing in over $228 million in tax revenue for Illinois and over $11 million for Cook County, according to the Gaming Board.
Sports betting was legalized in 2020 in Illinois. Since 2021, when Illinois took in about $57 million in sports betting tax revenue, that amount has quadrupled for the state.
