Philadelphia has been in the news a lot lately, and some of the reasons are way better than Four Seasons Total Landscaping.
There was a lot going on in Chicago during the first weekend of November, but my old haunts in Philadelphia—where I lived for seven years—were shouting out to me through the magic of the Internet.…Read More
A man was critically injured in a fire Nov. 15, 2020, in the 10000 block of South Indiana Avenue. | Sun-Times file photo
The 32-year-old was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition with possible smoke inhalation, police said.
A man was critically injured in a fire Sunday night in Roseland on the South Side.
Authorities were called about the house fire shortly before 11:20 p.m. in the 10000 block of South Indiana Avenue, according to Chicago police. Firefighters removed an unconscious 32-year-old man from the home.
The man was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition with possible smoke inhalation, police said. No other injuries or displacements were reported.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Chicago Fire Department and Area Two detectives.
Man critical after Roseland fireSun-Times Wireon November 16, 2020 at 8:32 am Read More »
After a pandemic-spoiled launch, Illinois has quickly surpassed Indiana to become the sports betting capital of the Midwest, the latest state gambling revenue figures show.
Illinois bettors plunked down more than $285 million on sports contests during September, which was just the third full month the industry has been live in the state.
That easily tops the Hoosier handle of about $208 million in September and $231 million in October. The Illinois Gaming Board released the September report on Friday, but it has yet to release October figures.
Illinois’ other new neighboring markets drew bets totaling just $82 million in Iowa and $46 million in Michigan through October.
Since a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision opened the door to legal sports betting beyond Nevada, a total of 20 states now host legitimate sportsbooks, with New Jersey leading the way. The Garden State posted an all-time high $803 million handle in October.
Industry analysts who have long salivated over the potential of a sport-crazed state such as Illinois estimate it could eventually rival Nevada with annual handles projected to top $5 billion within a few years.
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And since Illinois’ first bet was placed in early March — just days before COVID-19 turned life upside down — it’s seen exponential early growth, with monthly handles of about $53 million in July and $140 million in August.
That’s largely due to the advent of mobile betting. While the state law that legalized sports betting initially required gamblers to register for accounts in person at a casino, Gov. J.B. Pritzker eased that rule amid the pandemic, allowing bettors to register online from their phones — and start wagering immediately. More than 92% of Illinois’ September bets were wagered from mobile devices.
Seven of the state’s casinos and one horse racing track — Hawthorne Race Course in Stickney — have licensed sportsbooks. Illinois’ most lucrative casino and its first to start taking sports bets, Rivers in Des Plaines, continued to lead the way in September, accepting about $105 million in wagers.
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But two other casinos that have partnered with behemoth mobile sports betting companies are quickly closing the gap. The newly christened DraftKings at Casino Queen in downstate East St. Louis handled about $92 million, while the Par-A-Dice Casino in East Peoria took about $75 million in bets through FanDuel.
Statewide, the sportsbooks came out on top by about $11 million on bets that were settled in September, generating about $1 million in state tax revenue with another $82,000 going to Cook County government.
The industry has generated about $3 million in tax revenue in its first three full months. Pritzker’s office has suggested it could eventually pump upwards of $100 million into state coffers every year.
Baseball so far has drawn the most interest from Illinois bettors (3.2 million bets totaling $133 million from June through September), though football will surely soon overtake it (2.7 million bets totaling $92 million).
Former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda has been admitted to a hospital in Orange County, where he is in the intensive care unit.
According to a statement released by the team, Lasorda is resting comfortably. No other details on his condition were released.
Lasorda, 93, was in attendance as the Dodgers won Game 6 of the World Series over the Tampa Bay Rays on Oct. 27 to secure the franchise’s seventh world championship.
Lasorda led the Dodgers to two of those titles — in 1981 and 1988 — as part of his 21 seasons as manager.
He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997 and is the sport’s oldest living Hall of Famer.
Read more at usatoday.com.
The Chicago Bears will have a brand-new running back for Monday Night Football in Lamar Miller, but will it even matter in the end? Monday Night Football will be a make-or-break game for the Chicago Bears. At 5-4, the Bears are looking at a potentially fourth-straight loss and on the outside looking in at the […]
Chicago Bears activate Lamar Miller, but does it even matter? – Da Windy City – Da Windy City – A Chicago Sports Site – Bears, Bulls, Cubs, White Sox, Blackhawks, Fighting Illini & More
A thin beer calendar has releases from Revolution and Light the Lamp, and beer dinners.Read More
Chicago Week in Craft Beer, November 16-19Mark McDermotton November 15, 2020 at 4:59 am Read More »
Let the countdown begin. It’s draft week and the Chicago Bulls have what a lot of teams want — a top-5 pick. It’s an interesting year to have such a high draft pick, because by most accounts, this class is short on talent.
