Krafcik said Illinois could approve internet gambling by the end of the year, at least in part to recoup tax revenue lost to the virus outbreak.

“States are facing unprecedented financial challenges,” said Matt King, CEO of FanDuel Group. “We are firm believers that mobile sports betting and online gaming legislation will be the type of commonsense legislation that states will look to when legislatures return.”

New York state Sen. Joseph Addabbo has been pushing his state to adopt mobile and online sports betting as a way to generate new revenue, including recapturing money from gamblers crossing the border into New Jersey to bet on sports. He said his state faces a budget deficit of up to $17 billion, “largely because of the virus.” Other estimates have placed the shortfall around $13 billion.

“We should be preparing now — creating regulations, lining up vendors, setting up servers,” said Addabbo, a Democrat. “Let’s get it ready so that when we come back, we don’t miss another Super Bowl.”

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, also a Democrat, maintains that approving mobile sports betting would require amending the state’s constitution.

While casinos in many states are moving to reopen, including Nevada next week, not all gamblers will be anxious to race back into crowded, enclosed buildings with the virus still spreading.

“If social distancing safeguards remain in place, it is possible that some gamblers would prefer to play from home rather than going into a casino,” said David Schwartz, a gambling historian with the University of Nevada Las Vegas.

Yaniv Sherman, head of commercial development for the online gambling company 888 Holdings, said the virus is accelerating trends that were already in motion before the virus hit, including growing acceptance of sports and online betting.

“The virus has highlighted the need for revenue diversification,” he said. “The future is around online growth, and it’s right now, not in 5 or 10 years. We hope to get additional states on board.”