Illinois lawmakers will move ahead with the idea of bringing legal sports gambling to the state, but it apparently will not be soon.

 

Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie, told a pair of House subcommittees Wednesday that he is working on a bill to bring sports betting to Illinois.

 

After the hearing, though, Lang said it will be after a new General Assembly is seated in January before he anticipates lawmakers will take up the idea in earnest.

 

“I may have a draft before the next General Assembly, but I won’t be introducing anything in this General Assembly,” Lang said.

 

Lang said he is on his third “preliminary draft” trying to address all of the issues gambling experts said need to be considered before bringing sports betting to the state, such as where sports wagering will be allowed, how much it will be taxed and how to keep wagering by phone secure. There are also the competing gambling interests already in the state such as casinos and horse racing.

 

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