The Coalition for Fantasy Sports is backing a bill filed in the Illinois General Assembly that calls for the state’s gaming board to regulate fantasy sports as a separate entity from sports betting.
HB 5648 was introduced by Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado earlier this month, and there is a companion Senate Bill, SB 3710, brought forth by Sen. Lakesia Collins. Both have nearly identical wording, which notably amends the state’s Sports Wagering Act signed into law in 2019 to exclude fantasy contests from the definition of “sports wagering.” It also amends the Criminal Code of 2012 to stipulate that participants in fantasy sports “shall not be convicted of the offense of gambling when conducted in accordance with the Fantasy Sports Consumer Protection Act.”
“The proposed legislation aims to not only protect the hundreds of thousands of fantasy sports fans across Illinois but also the integrity of the games they enjoy,” the Coalition for Fantasy Sports said in a joint statement with the two legislators. “The framework would ensure legal clarity, responsible play, and consumer protection while promoting innovation and removing barriers to growth that threaten the fantasy sports industry.”
The decision to push for legalization of fantasy sports in Illinois comes at a time when regulators in multiple states are going in the opposite direction and banning such operators. There has been a groundswell of momentum, some of it coming from sportsbook operators, that fantasy sports is more an unlicensed form of sports than a legal fantasy contest.