AP

The governor of Illinois is expected to sign legislation that will legalize sports betting in the state, including at Soldier Field, home of the Bears.

Soldier Field is one of seven venues in Illinois that would be eligible for sports betting licenses, according to Joe Ostrowski of 670 The Score. Other venues eligible for sports betting licenses include the homes of the Chicago Cubs, White Sox, Bulls and Blackhawks.

A few years ago, the idea that the NFL would allow legal gambling at NFL games would have been unthinkable, but that’s no longer the case. The NFL has ceased its knee-jerk opposition to gambling, embraced Las Vegas as the future home of one of its franchises, and generally begun to recognize that betting on football is good for the popularity of the sport.

Actual betting windows right there at the stadium during an NFL game may go beyond even what the NFL’s recent about-face on gambling has envisioned, but if it enhances interest in the sport, it’s hard to see the NFL raising any serious objections.