DraftKings announced via its Wrigley Field-specific Instagram account it began taking retail wagers late Friday morning next to the iconic ball park on Addison Street and Sheffield Avenue on the north side of Chicago.
The launch for wagering at the 22,000-square-foot venue did not come cheap, as the Illinois Gaming Board confirmed via email to that DraftKings paid the full $10 million license fee to the state agency. The IGB will deposit those funds into the Rebuild Illinois Fund for infrastructure projects statewide.
It is the first such license issued by the IGB, though FanDuel’s parent company Betfair applied for one at the United Center, and the lounge area has been open for more than a year without taking bets.