DraftKings mobile betting goes live in Illinois as in-person registration is suspended
CEO Jason Robins hits out at competing operator Rush Street Gaming for “blocking” bid to enter the Prairie State
DraftKings is the second mobile sportsbook to launch in Illinois after Governor Pritzker suspended its in-person registration requirement for the second time.
Pritzker initially signed an executive order in early June to suspend in-person registration due to Covid-19 restrictions on visiting casinos and racetracks.
The order remained in force for 53 days, during which only Rush Street Interactive’s (RSI) BetRivers mobile sportsbook was launched.
However, on July 26, Pritzker re-instated in-person registration, days before DraftKings was set to launch.
DraftKings’ CEO Jason Robins hailed his team’s hard work in rolling out the product hours after the latest order was put in place last Friday.
“Less than two hours after being notified last night that mobile registration is back in IL, DraftKings sportsbook was ready to go,” Robins wrote on Twitter.
“Moments later, the marketing machine turned on. So proud of the team for rallying late on a Friday to get this done. Game on Illinois,” he added.
However, Robins also hit out at competitor RSI calling the operator “corrupt idiots” on Twitter while accusing Chicago-based RSI of blocking DraftKings’ entry into Illinois.
“Feels so good to be taking mobile registrations in Illinois,” Robins said in his Tweet.
“Especially after the corrupt idiots at Rush Street Gaming tried to block us in the state,” he added.
“Over the long run, good policy always wins. I commend Governor Pritzker for doing what’s right for the citizens of Illinois.”
The tweet was deleted within three hours of being posted.
Consultant Richard Schuetz later responded to Robin’s tweet saying: “For a gaming operator to send a public message to the governor of a state suggesting that another operator in the state is corrupt is bad day for all gaming. It is also a sign of incredible immaturity.”
For a gaming operator to send a public message to the governor of a state suggesting that another operator in the state is corrupt is bad day for all gaming. It is also a sign of incredible immaturity. @SteveRuddock adds an adult voice to the reality behind the scene in Illinois https://t.co/PJvPZUTAd9
— Richard Schuetz (@Schuetzinc) August 25, 2020
DraftKings entered Illinois earlier this month with a retail sportsbook via its partner Casino Queen – now rebranded DraftKings at Casino Queen – and which is based across the Mississippi River from St Louis, some 300 miles from Chicago.
FanDuel, PointsBet and Penn National Gaming all plan to launch mobile betting in Illinois in the coming months.