Illinois Sportsbooks Can’t Take Off-Field Super Bowl 55 Bets

Illinois sportsbooks will only offer Super Bowl 55 prop bets for action that occurs on the field.
Sportsbooks out of state and out of the country are famous for offering prop bets on the Halftime Show, the Super Bowl ads, and other events surrounding the game.
Super Bowl 55 will be the first Super Bowl that Illinois bettors will be able to wager on using in-state sportsbooks.

CHICAGO – Those betting on Super Bowl 55 in Illinois may be wondering why their sportsbooks aren’t offering some of the famed Super Bowl prop bets discussed by major media outlets. The answer is simple: The Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) does not want those odds at this time.

In a regulatory meeting last week, IGB administrator Marcus Frutcher said the state will only be allowing “activity directly within the control or jurisdiction of the NFL and/or individuals subject to the NFL integrity policy.”

This ultimately eliminates the possibility for Super Bowl 55 betting props to be about anything beside the direct action on the field.

Given that this is the first time Illinois bettors will be able to wager on the Super Bowl using in-state sportsbooks, Frutcher mentioned how “its imperative that sports wagering be conducted with the highest standards of integrity, and without any appearance or possibility of potential impropriety.”

However, with a bulk of Super Bowl 55 betting odds in Illinois missing, it is expected that Illinois sports betting revenue may not maximize its potential for the month.

How Important Are Off-The Field Prop Bets?

The national sensation that is Super Bowl prop bets began all the way back in Super Bowl XX when William Perry, a defensive tackle, scored a touchdown in the Super Bowl.

Since then, sportsbooks have increased the amount of prop bets they offer for the Super Bowl with many betting lines not involving the game at all. Some of the most notable Super Bowl betting odds include that of the National Anthem, the coin toss, the Halftime Show, and even the television ads during the commercial breaks.

Because of the wide net these bets cast, Super Bowl prop bets have come to take in a large portion of the overall Super Bowl betting handle.

John Murray, director of the famed Westgate Sportsbook in Las Vegas has gone so far as to say that Super Bowl prop bets make up about half of the total amount wagered on the big game. Nick Bogdanovich, sportsbook director for William Hill also noted that 40 to 45 percent of all Super Bowl bets made with them are on prop bets.

The popularity of off-field prop bets is something usually reserved once a year for the Super Bowl, so those betting on the big game will have to go elsewhere to find them.

Neighboring states such as Iowa and Indiana don’t have the same restrictions which may cause bettors to cross state lines to put action on the game. Both states have online sportsbooks that don’t require in-person registration making it an easy endeavor.

Online sportsbooks based overseas that accept U.S. bettors also offer NFL bettors the chance to bet on off-field SB 55 props such as how many times Joe Biden will tweet during the game and what will the announcers mention first.

The Bottom Line

With sports bettors potentially going elsewhere to bet on Super Bowl 55, it could affect Illinois’s bottom dollar.

In the most recent revenue report, Illinois was able to bring in the fourth largest legal sports betting handle in the nation for November. The amount bet is only expected to have increased since then due to the NFL playoffs and the NBA and NHL seasons returning.

The Super Bowl itself, however, is usually the single largest wagered on event of the year. The American Gaming Association is forecasting 23.2 million Americans betting on Super Bowl 55.

“This year’s Super Bowl is expected to generate the largest single-event legal handle in American sports betting history,” said Bill Miller, AGA President and CEO.

How that national handle gets split up will be determined after the big game. Super Bowl 55 will kick off Sunday at 6:30 p.m. EST and will be aired on CBS

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Hasan Nabulsi

– In his career, Hasan has worked both local and state government positions—including the Attorney General’s Office in Florida. On top of being familiar with the legislative process, he has also been researching and writing on the legality of sports betting across the US. Outside of work you’ll most likely find him producing or playing music, playing sports, or working on creative writing projects. You’ll also catch him at Doak Campbell Stadium cheering on the Noles.