Golden Nugget Coming to Illinois

Categories: News | Published by: Landon Williams

22/11/2020

Golden Nugget Online Gaming is coming to the state of Illinois, adding another huge name to the already impressive and competitive market.

Golden Nugget was able to reach a deal with Danville Development LLC, and it will offer both sports betting in Illinois and iGaming when that industry is officially legalized.

This deal will also include the building of a new casino property in Danville, Illinois, after Golden Nugget reached an agreement with Wilmot Gaming Illinois LLC. This new IL casino can only be built if the group receives regulatory approvals, but it is expected that the city will approve a new casino.

Illinois passed an expanded gambling bill in June 2019, and new casino projects were included in that deal. Sports betting officially launched in Illinois on March 9, but online casino gaming is still illegal in the state.

There are currently five mobile IL sportsbook apps in the state of Illinois, but Illinois has already seen some massive sports betting numbers. Illinois is expected to become one of the leaders in the sports betting industry, and adding Golden Nugget to the mix should bring some incredible results.

A majority of sports betting has been done online or through mobile apps, and that is a specialty of Golden Nugget. While the construction of a new casino is a part of this deal, the main focus will be on the online side of the industry.

The Golden Nugget Casino is set to feature a Landry’s Steakhouse when the property opens, but a number of other plans have not yet been announced. Danville is more than 2.5 hours away from Chicago, and it likely won’t be one of the leaders in the retail casino industry.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has forced Illinois Governor JB Pritzker to shut down all retail casinos and sportsbooks for a second time since March. All sports betting will be done online until these properties are allowed to open back up.

About Golden Nugget

Golden Nugget is already a big name in the online gaming industry in the United States, but 2021 could be an even bigger year for the company. Currently, Golden Nugget is only available in the state of New Jersey, but at least two other states could see launches in early 2021.

Golden Nugget has already applied for an iGaming license in both Pennsylvania and Michigan, but the company is just awaiting regulatory approval. Along with Illinois, that could mean three new states for this company during the 2021 year.

One of the biggest contributions that Golden Nugget has made to the online casino industry is the introduction of live casino games. Golden Nugget was one of the first companies to offer Live Dealer offerings, and it helped the company become a leader in the industry. They will be facing big competition from the likes of BetRivers and DraftKings.

Golden Nugget Online Gaming is now a publicly-traded company after being acquired by Fertitta and Landcadia Holdings. This deal is not yet official, but it is expected to close by the end of the year, and Landcadia will change its NASDAQ trading symbol to GNOG.

If you want to stay up to date on all sports betting in Illinois, then make sure you check back regularly on our news blog.