Illinois' first sportsbook coming to Rivers Casino Des Plaines ahead of March Madness

DES PLAINES, Ill. (WLS) -- A north suburban casino will open the state's first sportsbook on Monday.

Get ready to place your bets, Illinois sports fans: Rivers Casino Des Plaines will start taking bets at noon in their brand new BetRivers Sportsbook.

And it's just in time for the NCAA March Madness tournament, which is one of the most popular times of the year for sports betting.

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"The BetRivers Sportsbook will take March Madness out of the office pool and into an exciting, elevated live sports wagering experience," said Corey Wise, senior vice president and general manager of Rivers Casino. "We are grateful to the Illinois Gaming Board staff for their work approving our sportsbook in time for the college basketball tournament."

There will be five betting windows in the sportsbook and a total of 30 sportsbook kiosks, casino officials said.

BetRivers will launch the Illinois BetRivers.com site and mobile app later this year.

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State lawmakers approved sports gaming last year, but regulation concerns led the Illinois Gaming Board to delay when bets could start being taken.