
Author:
Edward Champion
Last Updated:
08/05/2022
Experiences:
Seasoned veteran in the world of gambling writing
Experiences:
Seasoned veteran in the world of gambling writing
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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 we’ll reveal who could soon be the best online casino in Illinois. Plus we’ll 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!
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 we’ve 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!
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, you’ll have to go to one of the state’s 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 it’s 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.
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 it’s 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 they’ve 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.
It’s 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 it’s worth waiting until online casinos are finally legalized in Illinois:
We’ve already got plenty of experience in ranking and rating each legal online casino from New Jersey to Michigan. As such, we’re perfectly prepared for when online casino gaming finally gets legalized in the Prairie State. Here are the key ingredients that we’ll be checking for in each Illinois online casino site:
Software: We’d 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: We’ve 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: We’ve 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: We’ve seen lots of loyalty schemes that work to give benefits for all of the wagering that you’ve been doing. A great way to get a little extra from your gaming.
While we wait for online casino gaming to get legalized, it’s 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 you’ve used your welcome bonus and haven’t 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 we’d hope that each Illinois online casino creates user-friendly gaming apps that are available for iOS and Android devices. Plus we’d expect regular app updates to ensure that online gaming is kept secure.
We’ve 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, it’s 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, you’ll be first in line to play at the new wave of legal casino sites in Illinois. We’ll hopefully even be able to show you what the best poker app Android real money is too!