(230 ILCS 45/25-30)

Sec. 25-30. Master sports wagering license issued to an organization licensee.

(a) An organization 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 organization 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 this subsection (b), the initial license fee for a master sports wagering license for an organization licensee is 5% of its handle from the preceding calendar year or the lowest amount that is required to be paid as an initial license fee by an owners licensee under subsection (b) of Section 25-35, whichever is greater. No initial license fee shall exceed $10,000,000. An organization licensee licensed on the effective date of this Act shall pay the initial master sports wagering license fee by July 1, 2021. For an organization 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 organization licensee begins racing operations based on 5% of its handle from the first 12 months of racing operations. The master sports wagering license is valid for 4 years.

(c) The organization 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 organization licensee issued a master sports wagering license may conduct sports wagering:

(1) at its facility at which inter-track wagering is conducted pursuant to an inter-track wagering license under the Illinois Horse Racing Act of 1975;

(2) at 3 inter-track wagering locations if the inter-track wagering location licensee from which it derives its license is an organization licensee that is issued a master sports wagering license; and

(3) 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 organization licensee is operating under or a brand owned by a direct or indirect holding company that owns at least an 80% interest in that organization 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) or (2) 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.)