By Dave Dahl
SPRINGFIELD – An NBA executive was in Springfield Thursday to say it’s time to get used to sports betting being legal.
“There’s billions of dollars already being bet on NBA games right now, so the question is what’s the right way to do it,” says Dan Spillane. “The choices are to allow the illegal offshore market to continue to flourish or to try to regulate it and have it so betting on our games is safe and has more integrity than there is right now.”
Members of the Illinois House Revenue and Finance Committee heard about various options being proposed: for sports books to be hosted in casinos, at race tracks, or at off-track betting parlors; or have the lottery run it, which two states currently do.
Gov. Pritzker wants sports gambling to start paying off in the fiscal year that starts July 1.
Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]