Surprising Development in Illinois

This development could be a very positive development for iDEA and iGaming prospects in Illinois. The “gatekeeper” for gaming legislation in the House has traditionally been House Executive Committee Chairman Bob Rita, who has usually blocked efforts to move legislation until becoming comfortable with a package of issues covered in an omnibus bill. This is how Illinois enacted sports betting in 2019 and a variety of reforms, including dropping in person registration, in late 2021. But after initially passing the Senate in 2022, the iDEA initiative to fix the supplier renewal fee was blocked by Chairman Rita in the House. The creation of the House Gaming Committee under Chairman Didech’s leadership raises questions about Chairman Rita’s historical role as the House gaming “gatekeeper” and his ability to unilaterally block gaming legislation.

iDEA and its Illinois lobbyist have a strong relationship with Chairman Didech. Given this week’s developments, iDEA will meet with the Chairman to discuss the supplier bill and seek clarity as to how gaming issues will now be handled in the House. This week’s changes create an opportunity for the supplier bill to pass as a standalone bill – as originally hoped – instead of waiting for an omnibus package.

Chairman Rita being less involved could be helpful not only with respect to the supplier bill, but also with respect to iGaming legalization in Illinois. Chairman Rita is very close with the video gaming industry, which is the strongest opponent to iGaming legalization. In previous meetings with iDEA, however, Chairman Didech has expressed support for iGaming. In fact, he volunteered to be part of efforts to help educate and persuade his colleagues on the issue. When we meet with Chairman Didech, we will revisit iGaming.