Barstool Sportsbook Gets Illinois License, Launches on Thursday

Barstool Sportsbook will launch in Illinois on March 11 following approval by the state’s gaming control board.

Penn National’s Barstool Sportsbook Launches in Illinois on Thursday

Penn National Gaming’s Barstool Sportsbook is arriving in yet another market in the United States after the company confirmed on Tuesday that it had obtained permission from the Illinois Gaming Control Board to operate mobile and desktop sportsbooks in the state.

The official launch is scheduled for March 11 at 12:00 pm CST, the company announced. Commenting on the announcement, Penn National CEO and president Jay Snowden commended the sportsbook on its latest market-entry.

Snowden was excited to see Barstool Sportsbook launch on time for March Madness, allowing bettors to benefit from the platform’s spot-on selections. 

Sports fans will get the added benefit of enjoying Barstool’s media product, as the company is still the “only fully-integrated sports media and entertainment partner” out there, giving Illinois bettors access to a unique betting platform. 

To mark the beginning of operations in Illinois, Penn National is not going to spare any effort and make sure that the Barstool Sportsbook features all sorts of incentives for bettors. That includes special odds boosts, a $1,000 risk-free bet, and a number of college betting options during the oncoming betting bonanza. 

Snowden said that he was thankful to the Illinois Gaming Control Board and the hard work put in by Kambi and White Hat Gaming, Penn’s suppliers, to make this launch happen. He is convinced that the company’s dedicated mobile sports betting app would reap strong results similar to Barstool’s track record in Michigan and Pennsylvania. 

“We are eager to leverage the building momentum for the Barstool Sportsbook app with our launch in Illinois and the additional launches we have planned for 2021,” Snowden concluded. Barstool has played an instrumental role in boosting Penn National Gaming’s results amid the growing demand for sports betting solutions across the United States.