BetRivers to Raise Minimum Bet in Requirement in Illinois

Sports Betting is about to get more expensive in the Land of Lincoln.

Rush Street Interactive has announced its BetRivers Sportsbook will be raising its minimum bet requirement to $5 in the Illinois sports betting market. The sportsbook had set a $1 minimum on July 1 in response to the state’s new per-wager tax. They were joined by the state’s other operators, who all chose to either raise minimums or add per-wager fees. 

The Chicago-based operator has been cagey about the reasoning for the second hike, though it had confirmed it would be possible when the first was announced. However, we do know that BetRivers has seen a 32% drop in wagers since Illinois’ tax changes took effect, more than any other operator.

While BetRivers has been fighting with Illinois, Chicago decided it was time to add new licensing requirements and taxes of its own. The local operator has already been forced to obtain a city-specific license and will now face another massive tax hike. While the Chicago tax applies only to the city, that is where the majority of the state’s population is located.

The sportsbook’s new $5 minimum bet requirement is the second-highest in the state, only trailing Circa’s $10 fee. The minimum bet requirement for other BetRivers markets remains at $0.10. 

More Changes Likely to Come

There were some questions about how BetRivers would approach dealing with its home state after the tax changes. They held off on making changes until after other operators responded, but that wasn’t the case when Chicago added its own.

With BetRivers taking decisive action, we expect the state’s other operators to file suit soon. That includes DraftKings, FanDuel, and Fanatics, which all have launched prediction platforms of their own. Those platforms will allow them to circumvent state and city taxes while still offering sports betting. 

While the state has fought hard to protect its tax hikes, it has strongly opposed Chicago's efforts to add its own. It's possible they can pressure the state to abandon those changes, which may lead operators like BetRivers to back off their aggressive responses.