Sports bettors in Illinois have fewer things to bet on after state gaming regulators fielded a request from the NFL seeking to have certain lines removed from sportsbooks.

Last week, Illinois Gaming Board Administrator Marcus Fruchter said a request from the NFL for the state to prohibit certain wagers that the professional football league determined negatively impact game integrity had been temporarily approved. Fruchter ordered the state’s licensed sportsbooks to suspend lines involving bets on player injuries, penalties, and officiating assignments.

I have determined that any wagering of the manner identified in the request poses a significant likelihood of serious risk to the integrity of the Illinois sports wagering industry,” Fruchter wrote in his order to retail and online sportsbooks. “Accordingly, I am suspending all such wagering in Illinois.”

Fruchter’s suspension became effective last Thursday.

Bets on Hold

In a letter dated Oct. 4, 2024, Jonathan Nabavi, the NFL’s vice president of public policy and government affairs, wrote the Illinois Gaming Board requesting that certain bets being offered in the state by its licensed sportsbooks be removed. The list of prohibited bets suspended by Fruchter additionally included wagers involving fan safety, player misconduct, the first play of the game, roster/personnel decisions, player to miss a field goal or extra point, quarterback’s first pass, and any other bet that has an outcome that one player can determine.

“These markets often are not directly related to gameplay or can have a negative impact on the consumer and player involved,” Nabavi wrote.

The other bets where a single player can determine the outcome, Nabavi explained, “pose the greatest risk — or perceived risk — to game integrity.”

In his request for such bets to be banned, Nabavi cited several other states that already prohibit objectionable bets, including Arizona, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, and Vermont.

“There is no greater priority for the NFL than protecting the integrity of our games and the welfare of our players,” Nabavi continued. “Fans, players, coaches, and personnel deserve to know that we are doing everything possible to ensure no improper influences affect how our games are played and that we are taking all appropriate steps to ensure that their participation in our games is not subject to unfair and unwarranted allegations relating to sports gambling.”

Illinois’ Sports Betting Market

Fruchter’s suspending of objectional bets will remain in place until at least December 12 when the Illinois Gaming Board next meets and will consider making the pause permanent. During the suspension, books are banned from settling such bets.

Illinois is home to one of the richest sports betting markets in the US. Nearly $4 billion was wagered in person and online at Illinois sportsbooks from January through August 2024.

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