The battle against unlicensed sports betting operators in regulated markets heated up late last week when Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul issued a warning that specifically mentioned PrizePicks and Bovada. These two operators, one a sports books, the other a DFS site, serve Illinois customers without having acquired an Illinois gaming license and that’s not sitting too well with Raoul.
“If you decide to bet on the Super Bowl or any other sporting event, take the time to determine that you are placing your bet with an entity that is licensed by the Illinois Gaming Board and operating legally in the state. Using an unlicensed betting service puts your personal information and your money at risk. Even if a sports betting website or app is licensed, it’s also important to read the details of any promotional offers to make sure there are no hidden costs or obligations,” Raoul said in comments reported on by the Springfield Herald News.
Not surprisingly, Raoul’s office issued cease-and-desist orders to these same operators last week. Bovada’s situation and PrizePick’s situation are slightly different in this situation. Bovada is well-known for serving players in markets where it’s not licensed and has already been shut down or pushed out of multiple markets. PrizePicks, on the other hand, is a DFS operator who is desperately looking for legal options to stay in the Illinois market (every option except actually getting a sports betting license, that is).
A PrizePicks spokesperson addressed the situation in comments reported on by SBC Americas saying, “We notified the Gaming Board earlier this week that, at their request, we are transitioning to our peer-to-peer offering, Arena, in Illinois. Additionally, we supported the filing of a bill last year that would’ve granted the Board the authority to regulate, license, and tax fantasy sports in the state.”
Whether PrizePicks is accepted into the regulated Illinois market remains to be seen.