The Sports Betting Alliance is advocating for a new online gambling legislation in Illinois that would allow gambling on mobile devices, with nearly $400,000 in political donations to more than 100 state lawmakers since June.
The Sports Betting Alliance, which includes major sports betting companies such as FanDuel and DraftKings, is pushing to legalize gambling and slots on smartphones, iPads, and computers. The group claims that establishing online gambling could generate over a billion dollars for the state while combating illegal offshore gambling websites.
Critics of the legislation argue it could negatively impact local businesses. One critic stated, “It’s just bad for small business. It’s bad for the footprint of local brick and mortar. What it does is it pulls those people out of those establishments, and you know, where they may come in and get a cheeseburger and then throw its money in a big machine. Now they’ll just stay in their basement and play these games on their phone.”
In a statement, the Sports Betting Alliance indicated that Illinoisans are currently targeted by illegal offshore gambling websites. They assert that legalizing online gambling would address this issue and provide a more secure option for residents, citing other states that have successfully implemented online gaming systems.
https://www.mystateline.com/news/online-gambling-bill-in-illinois-aims-to-generate-1-billion-faces-local-business-backlash/