(230 ILCS 45/25-35)

Sec. 25-35. Master sports wagering license issued to an owners licensee.

(a) An owners licensee may apply to the Board for a master sports wagering license. To the extent permitted by federal and State law, the Board shall actively seek to achieve racial, ethnic, and geographic diversity when issuing master sports wagering licenses to owners licensees and encourage minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, veteran-owned businesses, and businesses owned by persons with disabilities to apply for licensure. Additionally, the report published under subsection (m) of Section 25-45 shall impact the issuance of the master sports wagering license to the extent permitted by federal and State law.

For the purposes of this subsection (a), "minority-owned business", "women-owned business", and "business owned by persons with disabilities" have the meanings given to those terms in Section 2 of the Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women, and Persons with Disabilities Act.

(b) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (b-5), the initial license fee for a master sports wagering license for an owners licensee is 5% of its adjusted gross receipts from the preceding calendar year. No initial license fee shall exceed $10,000,000. An owners licensee licensed on the effective date of this Act shall pay the initial master sports wagering license fee by July 1, 2021. The master sports wagering license is valid for 4 years.

(b-5) For an owners licensee licensed after the effective date of this Act, the master sports wagering license fee shall be $5,000,000, but the amount shall be adjusted 12 months after the owners licensee begins gambling operations under the Illinois Gambling Act based on 5% of its adjusted gross receipts from the first 12 months of gambling operations. The master sports wagering license is valid for 4 years.

(c) The owners licensee may renew the master sports wagering license for a period of 4 years by paying a $1,000,000 renewal fee to the Board.

(d) An owners licensee issued a master sports wagering license may conduct sports wagering:

(1) at its facility in this State that is authorized to conduct gambling operations under the Illinois Gambling Act; and

(2) over the Internet or through a mobile application.

(e) The sports wagering offered over the Internet or through a mobile application shall only be offered under either the same brand as the owners licensee is operating under or a brand owned by a direct or indirect holding company that owns at least an 80% interest in that owners licensee on the effective date of this Act.

(f) Until issuance of the first license under Section 25-45 or March 5, 2022, whichever occurs first, an individual must create a sports wagering account in person at a facility under paragraph (1) of subsection (d) to participate in sports wagering offered over the Internet or through a mobile application.

(Source: P.A. 101-31, eff. 6-28-19; 101-648, eff. 6-30-20; 102-689, eff. 12-17-21.)