Born in 1975 in a town in the midwest, Edward is a seasoned veteran in the world of gambling writing. Getting a taste for the scene by getting involved in local poker tournaments, he soon turned his passion into a job by securing a role writing about gaming on a freelance basis. After building up his portfolio, he joined us in 2013 and has since progressed to become our all-knowing editor-in-chief for anything poker or casinos.
Looking for the best IL online casino sites? We can help with that as we examine what kinds of casino gaming are available in the Prairie State. Take a look below and all will be revealed!
Unfortunately, online casino gaming is still illegal in Illinois. But we think that things could change soon, so weâll reveal who could soon be the best online casino in Illinois. Plus weâll take a look at what kinds of bonuses might soon be available. Keep reading to see why legal online casino gaming is surely on its way to Illinois!
Calling all gamers! Join our hunt for the best IL online casino sites
Illinois is a state with a rich history of riverboat casinos, and so we think that there will be plenty of experienced gamers keen to see when online casino gaming becomes legal in the Prairie State. Plus we know that there are lots of rookies out there who have never even stepped into a physical casino but are keen to try their luck in the online domain.
So weâve made sure that our casino comparison is open to all levels of gamers. You could be a blackjack pro from Chicago, a roulette fan from Peoria, or a slot gaming newbie from Champaign. Whoever you are, join us on our wait for the arrival of legal casino sites in Illinois!
The long wait to play online casino games in Illinois
Unfortunately, online casino gaming is still illegal in Illinois. While legal online sports betting has been with us since March 2020, if you want to play casino games, youâll have to go to one of the stateâs physical casino outlets or try one of the various sweepstakes casino sites.
While this is disappointing, we believe that things could change soon. This is because many nearby states such as Michigan have legalized online casino gaming, and itâs surely a matter of time before things follow suit in the Prairie State.
Illinois has also found great success with the introduction of riverboat casinos more than 30 years ago. As it stands there are 10 riverboat casinos in the Prairie State and these became fully legal as a result of the wholesale changes in gambling laws in 2019. The Illinois Gambling Act of 2019 also permitted six new casinos to be built within the state.
This has revealed that there is a hunger for fully regulated casino gaming in Illinois, and with the infrastructure in place for legal online sports betting, it could be only a matter of time before online casino gaming is legalized.
Check out our choice of the best IL online casinoÂ
While we wait for online casinos to be legalized in Illinois, we thought that we should take a look at the key contenders who could set up shop in the Prairie State. In particular, we think that DraftKings could be poised to crack the Illinois online casino market, should it open.
This is because DraftKings has already revealed itself to have a commanding presence in the legal sports betting scene in Illinois. It smartly partnered up with Casino Queen in East St Louis to ensure that it is fully regulated and licensed by the Illinois Gaming Board. This shows that DraftKings is a legit operator, and will take all appropriate steps to ensure that you legally and safely gamble online.
The DraftKings casino is up and running in states like Michigan and itâs packed full of hundreds of slots and table games. Plus gamers in those states can get a massive welcome bonus and join the generous reward program as soon as theyâve set up their accounts. All of which has us counting down the months until the day finally comes when the DraftKings casino is allowed to open up in Illinois.
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T&Cs apply, 18+
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Why you should only play at legit online casinos in Illinois
Itâs almost understandable why so many casino fans are tempted to use offshore casino sites. After all, those offshore casinos offer some of the only ways that people in Illinois can legally play slots and table games online. But using those offshore gambling sites is a bad idea. Here is why itâs worth waiting until online casinos are finally legalized in Illinois:
Regulated casino sites
When online casino gaming becomes legal in Illinois, weâd suggest that you only play with operators who are regulated by the Illinois Gaming Board. Such regulation means that the casino isnât going to vanish with your deposits and that the actual casino games arenât rigged. This contrasts with offshore casino sites where they are under no legal obligation to give you a safe or fair online gambling service.
Secure online casinos
Offshore casino sites are notorious for being badly maintained. Not only does this make it a drag to use these sites, but such a lack of maintenance also puts your data at risk. This is why we always check each online casino to make sure that it has all of the required SSL-level encryption technologies. After all, nobody wants to be the victim of identity theft when they play online casino games.
Trusted payment providers
Most offshore casinos prefer to take payments from US players with cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. Want to know why? Well, itâs because most US banks would run a mile when asked to use their financial services at casino sites that operate outside of the law. Thankfully legit casino sites in other US states let you make payments with a variety of trusted payment providers like Visa, MasterCard, PayPal, ACH, Play+, PayNearMe, and so on.
Helpful customer support
You can tell a lot about an online casino by the way that it looks after its customers. Legit online casinos will go out of their way to ensure that their customers are well looked after. This is the direct opposite of offshore casino sites where youâd be lucky to even get a vague response to your queries.
Player protection
Everyone loses now and then, and casino gaming wouldnât be so interesting if you won all of the time. Legit casino sites will always provide customers with player protection tools that help them keep these inevitable losses to a minimum. As such, you could expect to find tools that do things like put a cap on your deposits or losses. It might sound boring, but itâll help you avoid the risk of problem gambling.Â
How weâll check each online casino in the Prairie StateÂ
Weâve already got plenty of experience in ranking and rating each legal online casino from New Jersey to Michigan. As such, weâre perfectly prepared for when online casino gaming finally gets legalized in the Prairie State. Here are the key ingredients that weâll be checking for in each Illinois online casino site:
Software: Weâd expect that each IL casino had software that lets you play directly from your browser or app without the need for any further downloads.
Game portfolio: You should be able to play hundreds of different kinds of casino games ranging from online slots to table games like blackjack, roulette, baccarat, poker, and beyond.
Live casino: This is where you get to play table games against a real-life dealer in real-time. Such a gaming option is present at all good online casinos.
Wagering limits: You should be allowed to wager with very low stakes, but should also have the flexibility to raise your stakes if necessary.
Casino bonuses: All good online casinos will have some kind of welcome bonus for new customers. These deals should have wagering requirements that are possible to fulfill.
Site and app design: Weâve found the best online casinos are those with sites and apps that make it easy and fun to play.
Customer service: You should be able to get 24/7 customer support via live chat, email, telephone hotline, and social media.
Payment options: Weâve noticed that good casino sites let you make deposits and withdrawals with a variety of trustworthy payment providers. Plus you should never have to pay unnecessary fees for moving your money around.
Licensing and security: All casino sites should have the required license to operate in the US state that they are serving. Plus they should be capable of keeping your data and deposits safe.
Loyalty schemes: Weâve seen lots of loyalty schemes that work to give benefits for all of the wagering that youâve been doing. A great way to get a little extra from your gaming.
Helping you find your perfect online casino in IllinoisÂ
While we wait for online casino gaming to get legalized, itâs given us a good time to consider what features could make for the ultimate Illinois casino site. After all, everyone has a different casino game that they want to play. So here are some key things to consider when picking a casino site:
Game variants: There are thousands of different slot games, and countless variants of table games like blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and poker. So make sure that your chosen online casino has enough variants of your favorite game to keep things interesting.
Extra promotions: We love those casino sites that put on cool promotions for when youâve used your welcome bonus and havenât earned much back from the reward program. Keep your eye out for casinos with special casino tournaments and awesome cashback deals.
App considerations: Nobody wants to be shackled to a computer to play casino games. This is why weâd hope that each Illinois online casino creates user-friendly gaming apps that are available for iOS and Android devices. Plus weâd expect regular app updates to ensure that online gaming is kept secure.
Conclusion – Stick with us for when the best online casinos in Illinois open
Weâve made it our mission to keep you updated as and when the Illinois gambling law changes to permit online casino gaming in the Prairie State. This is because we are optimistic that legal online casinos will be permitted sooner or later. After all, if Michigan can legalize online casino gaming, itâs only a matter of time before the same happens in Illinois.
So make sure that you bookmark this page and check back in for when legal online casino gaming in the Prairie State becomes a reality. When it does, youâll be first in line to play at the new wave of legal casino sites in Illinois!
Weâve reviewed all USA online casinos so that you can see which gaming site is the best in each US state. This is important as every state has its laws regarding things like online casino gaming. So make sure that you read our guide to see who the best online casino in Illinois might be, or whether online casino gaming is currently outlawed in the Prairie State.
đ°What are the best slot machines to play in Illinois?
If you know anything about IL casinos, youâll know that they have plenty of different slot machines. Itâs a major reason why these riverboat casinos are so popular and most of the new casino sites USA currently has will try and mimic these slot games. So read our guide to see whether you can legally play some of these slot machines at online casinos in IL.
âWhat is the current Illinois online casino legislation?
There have been multiple legal changes happening recently that have dramatically affected how Illinois online gambling sites are allowed to operate. This means that online sportsbooks in the Prairie State are subject to different laws compared to IL online casinos. So read our guide to see whether the law currently stands regarding Illinois online casino gaming.
đCan I get an Illinois online casino no deposit bonus?
We have seen no shortage of different kinds of online casino bonus being put on by gaming sites in the US. However, itâs worth remembering that many of these deals can only be activated by customers who put down a qualifying deposit. So read our guide to IL casinos to see what kinds of bonuses you can currently get in the Prairie State.
âWhat is the latest Illinois gambling news?
Read our guide to see all of the latest news about the current range of sportsbooks and online casinos Illinois has to offer. This is important as there have been numerous changes to how gambling is carried out in the Prairie State in recent times. By reading our guide youâll see how the news affects the best betting sites Illinois has at the moment, and what this means for online casinos in the state.
