SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - While this is the first year Illinois gamblers can place bets on Sunday’s Super Bowl, they won’t be able to wager on novelty action, like the length of the National Anthem.
The Chicago Sun-Times reports Illinois Gaming Board Administrator Marcus Fruchter said during a meeting last week the agency will only allow bets on “activity directly within the control or jurisdiction of the NFL and or individuals subject to the NFL integrity policy.”
Fruchter conceded novelty bets are good for the growth of the gambling industry, but it’s paramount that sports wagering be conducted with the highest standards of integrity.
Sports betting has been legal in Illinois for less than a year, but gamblers already have wagered almost $1.4 billion on various contests.
The amount of money wagered, topped $449 million in November, a slight increase from the $435 million bettors shelled out in October. Gamblers lost more than $41 million on those November bets, generating almost $7 million in tax revenue.
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