Illinois Gambling Key Takeaways
| ⚠️ Latest News Update |
As of March 2025, online gambling is still partly illegal in the state of Indiana. |
| 🎲 Online Casino Games |
As of March 2025, no real money casinos are allowed. |
| ♠️♥️ Online Poker Sites |
Poker online is not allowed, but Global Poker offers sweepstakes. |
| 🎰 In-person Casinos |
Harrah’s Joliet and Bally’s Quad Cities are two of the 10 casinos. |
| ⚽ Online Betting |
Caesars, BetMGM, PointsBet & More. FanDuel and DraftKings for DFS. |
| 🐎 Online Horse Racing |
It is legal to bet on horse races. You can use TVG and TwinSpires. Racetrack: Fairmount Park, Hawthorne Race Course. |
| 🔢 Illinois Lottery Online |
Powerball is one of the lottery games you can play online. |
| 🏆 Sweepstakes Casino & Poker |
In Chumba Casino, LuckyLand Slots, and Global Poker, you can redeem cash prizes |
| 🔞 Indiana Legal Gambling Age |
21 and over |
| ⚖️ Indiana Gambling Regulator |
Illinois Gaming Board |
| ⚖️ Is online sports betting legal in Illinois? |
Yes, Illinois sports betting is legal. and you can now register for the first time
using your phone or computer
if you’re a first-time user. Find more on our
Illinois sports betting
page. |
| ⚖️ Is online casinos legal in Illinois? |
No, online casinos are still not legal. Find more on our
Illinois online casinos
page. |
| 💸 Are there any eligibility requirements for mobile betting? |
Wagers can only be placed from your mobile device if you are
21+ years of age and physically in the state of Illinois (verifiable by your device’s GPS or a downloadable desktop plugin). |
| 📒 Are there any online sportsbooks available in Illinois? |
BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, FanDuel, PointsBet, BetRivers, and William Hill. |
| 🏈 Can you bet on sports in Illinois? |
In comparison to other legal U.S. markets, you can bet on all major sports but not on college games involving Illinois schools. A bet on an in-state school must be placed in person. Also, you cannot bet on props for in-state players. Our favorite teams are
Chicago Bulls
and
Chicago Blackhawks. |
Where to find legal IL Gambling Sites?
We’ve made sure that this page caters to all of the many different kinds of gamblers in Prairie State. From hardcore sports fans of teams like the Bulls, Blackhawks, Bears, and White Sox to casual gamers who like to play slot machines, roulette, blackjack, and baccarat, we’ll make sure that you find out what you can and can’t do in the online domain.
This means that you’ll find an Illinois gambling site perfect for your expertise level. After all, while many people have wagered on the games at one of Illinois’ famous riverboat casinos, it’s quite different online. Illinois casinos operate under the Riverboat Gambling Act, passed in 1990. So whether you’re in Chicago, Peoria, Aurora, or Naperville, stick with us, and we’ll guide you toward your perfect online gambling site.
The current state of Illinois online gambling & Illinois gambling laws
The good news is that online sports betting has been completely legal in Illinois since the summer of 2020. The bad news is that online casino gaming and poker gaming are still outlawed. Plus, Illinois used to have some fairly strange laws that meant that you had to sign up for an online sportsbook at a physical location, such as a casino somewhere in the Prairie State.
As it stands, there are around a dozen different online sportsbooks currently operating in Illinois. These have all teamed up with one of the state’s tribal casinos, for which the Illinois Gaming Board has issued an online gambling license. There are a couple of exceptions to this, such as DraftKings, which has a retail outlet as part of the Chicago Cubs Wrigley Field stadium complex. You have to be at least 21 years old to play at an online sportsbook in Illinois.
By receiving full licensing and regulation from the Illinois Gaming Board, these sportsbooks have to provide a completely responsible, secure, and fair sports betting service. Otherwise, they would get their licenses withdrawn.
Illinois’s lack of legal casino gaming might tempt some people to sign up for some ‘offshore’ casino sites. But doing so would be a bad move as these offshore casino sites are acting illegally, and you would get absolutely nothing in the way of customer protection should something go wrong.
While online casino gaming in Illinois is not yet a reality, there’s every reason to believe it could be soon. After all, nearby states such as Michigan have successfully introduced legal online casino gaming, plus Illinois already has a famous heritage of riverboat casinos.
Illinois is currently the largest US state to have legalized online sports betting. If it takes steps to legalize online casino gaming, it will become a true online gambling powerhouse in the USA.
In July 2009, the Video Gaming Act was enacted, allowing video gaming terminals (VGTs) in licensed retail establishments, truck stops, and veteran and fraternal establishments.
On June 28, 2019, the Illinois Gambling Act was enacted. In addition to legalizing sports wagering (online and in retail locations), the Act significantly expanded casino gambling and video gambling across Illinois.
Internet lottery sales are subject to voluntary self-exclusion under the Illinois Lottery Law.
The best site for online gambling in Illinois right now
If you’re looking for a great introduction to online sports betting in Prairie State, you may as well sign up for DraftKings. This legendary operator has been leading the way when it comes to sports betting all across the US, and it’s only right that it was one of the first online sportsbooks to open its doors in Illinois legally.
DraftKings was able to set up in Illinois after signing a partnership deal with the Casino Queen brand. This means that you used to have to travel out to the physical casino in East St Louis if you wanted to register and verify your DraftKings sports betting account.
It might sound like a drag, but it’s well worth doing, as signing up to DraftKings IL will get you a massive matched deposit welcome bonus. This would mean that you could start betting on all of the sportsbook’s amazing odds with lots of extra wagering credit. Just so you know, DraftKings has massive bets for each game that the Bears, Bulls, Blackhawks, and White Sox play.
DraftKings has all of the required regulations from the Illinois Gaming Board. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be recommending it to you. Plus, it provides a great example of what kinds of customer support and payment methods you should expect from a legit IL sportsbook. So sign up to DraftKings and enjoy legal sports betting in Illinois!
Bet $5 and Get $150 in Bonus Bets Instantly!
Five ways to stay safe when gambling in Illinois
Online sports betting is still pretty new in Prairie State. This means that you’ll have to be twice as on guard to ensure you don’t get duped by rogue operators. Here are some things to check for when using any online sportsbook in Illinois:
Only play at those betting sites that the Illinois Gaming Board regulates. You can usually see evidence of such licensing in the betting site footer. Such regulation essentially means that the sportsbook will abide by the state’s online gambling laws. As such, you’ll get paid whatever you win and be given a secure and honest betting environment. This is the opposite of what happens when you play at so-called ‘offshore’ betting sites that cannot be trusted with your money.
We always check to see how each online sportsbook looks after your data. This is important as you have to provide the betting site with a wealth of personal information when you sign up for its services. You will have to prove that you are a resident of Illinois, and you’ll probably have to provide your social security number too. As such, you’d expect that all good online sportsbooks will have the latest SSL encryption technology on their sites and apps to keep your data safe.
Betting with real money in Illinois means having to pick a safe way to make your deposits. Thankfully, each of our recommended Illinois sportsbooks will give you a variety of trusted options for putting money into your account. This means making deposits with secure payment providers such as Visa, MasterCard, PayPal, and ACH rather than any untrustworthy method. You should be able to make deposits and withdrawals free, secure, and efficiently.
It’s always a good idea to do some online research into each sportsbook that you’re thinking of using. Not only should you consult our leaderboard of the best Illinois gambling sites, but you should also see what other sports fans think. After all, people are more than happy to share their views online if they feel let down by a particular betting site. Some customer reviews might not be as balanced and fair as our sportsbook reviews, but they can build a good picture of what it’s like to use a gambling site.
You’ll probably notice that most good Illinois gambling sites will set aside an area on their website for ‘player protection.’ This is where you get the tools you need to identify if your gambling could be getting out of hand. Plus, it would be best if you also were given the option to put limits on deposits, session time, losses, and wagering. All of this shows that the operator is responsible for ensuring you keep your gambling under control. You probably won’t find such player protection at an offshore betting site.
Key features of the best gambling sites in Illinois
We love the explosion in legal online gambling in the Prairie State. It gives us the perfect excuse to visit each betting site and app to make sure that it’s good enough for your needs. While there’s always a fair amount of variation in how each online sportsbook works, we’ve found that they all tend to share the same essential features. Here’s a look at what makes for a great Illinois gambling site:
- Awesome bonuses:
There’s nothing like a good bonus for getting started at a new gambling site. These will often give you extra wagering funds to play with, which can be useful for when there is a big Bears NFL game just around the corner.
- Great app design:
Nobody wants to have to battle with a badly designed sports betting site or app. So we’ll point you towards those operators who understand that everyone in Illinois just wants a betting app that’s easy to navigate and fun to use.
- Professional customer support: You never know when you might need to get some help with your wagering. This is why we’re careful only to recommend those Illinois gambling sites that have quality customer service. This means that you should always be able to get in touch via live chat, email, telephone, or even social media.
- IGB regulation:
This is a must for all gambling fans in the Prairie State as it means that the betting app is operating under the online gambling laws of Illinois. Remember that we’ll be checking all other security aspects of the operator so you can relax in the knowledge that your data is being kept safe.
- Top reward programs:
Many gambling sites have reward programs that give you perks and benefits for all of the wagering you’ve been doing. You might have to put in some effort to get anything back from these deals, but they can be good value in the long run.
- Endless sports bets:
No one wants to be restricted in how they gamble online. This is why we love those gambling sites that give you seemingly endless bets for each major sporting encounter. We’d expect well over 100 unique betting markets for every NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL game.
- Amazing betting odds:
This is where it gets serious, as you’ll want to make sure that you’re wagering with the best odds on the market. Check out our operator reviews, and you’ll find an Illinois gambling app with relentlessly competitive sportsbook odds.
- Fun live betting platform:
Live betting offers a fun and fast way to get extra value from your bets. This is why it’s worth hunting down a gambling site with a responsive and user-friendly live betting platform. All of which should give you a seriously entertaining way to put down your sports bets.
- Flexible betting limits:
Most sportsbooks will set out their minimum and maximum bet limits for each sporting encounter. These limits should be fair and shouldn’t either push you out of your depth or make you feel restricted in how you bet on sports.
Always use reputable Illinois online casinos & sportsbooks
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Finding the best site for gambling Illinois has to offer
We realize that all gambling fans in the Prairie State want something different, so we’ll make sure that our operator reviews reflect this. After all, you might be a Bulls fan in Chicago who is looking for the best NBA odds, or you might be a roulette fan from Peoria who is looking for a legal online casino in Illinois. So we’ve made our gambling site reviews as in-depth as possible so that you can see how each operator works. Here are some things to consider when looking for your perfect gambling site:
Streaming
We’ve seen a few online sportsbooks putting on free live streaming on their sites. This gives you a much more entertaining way to put down your live bets, and it’s easier than switching between your laptop and television.
Help
All gambling sites will offer different kinds of customer support. You’ll want customer care that works for you. After all, there’s no point in being with a sportsbook that operates with limited hours in EST when your late-night bet goes wrong in Illinois.
Cashing out
We love those sportsbooks that let you cash your bets out early. This is a great way to gain control of your bets, as you can cash out early and lock in a profit regardless of what happens later on. Don’t forget that some sportsbooks will even let you partially cash out. Such a great option is taking over the William Hill sportsbook bonus for Illinois.
Best Illinois Sportsbook Bonuses 2025
Conclusion – Your starting point for online gambling in Illinois
The gambling scene in Illinois has changed quickly in a very short time, and this will continue in the future. While Illinois casinos online are illegal right now, we’re fairly sure that the Illinois gambling laws will change sooner or later. This means that it could be just a matter of time before you can play online casino games in Illinois just as easily as you would bet on sports.
Whatever happens, we’ll make sure that you always find your perfect site for wagering online. So make sure you bookmark this page to stay up to date with the latest changes in the Illinois online gaming realm.
Don’t forget to check out our sports betting pages related to
Chicago Blackhawks sportsbook promo codes
and
Chicago Bulls sportsbook promo codes.
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2.
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Online gambling in Illinois FAQ
❓ What is the latest Illinois gambling news?
Read our guide to get the latest news about online gambling in Illinois. The Prairie State has recently seen some big upheavals in how things like sports betting are regulated. So make sure that you check out our guide to see if you can use the
best U.S. online casinos
in Illinois or whether you have to keep your online wagering on sports for now.
🏀 Which is the best site for sports gambling Illinois has now?
Check out our guide that doesn’t just show you the
top Illinois sportsbooks, but goes further than that to explain exactly why these sports betting sites are so good. From identifying what kinds of betting odds, these Illinois online gambling sites provide to examining what kinds of bonuses they put on, you’ll have all you need to know which sportsbook to use for sports betting in the Prairie State.
🎰 What does the Illinois online casino legislation mean?
While many people enjoy online gambling Illinois has fairly complicated laws regarding online casino gaming. This means that you might not know where you stand regarding the law when you want to play slots and table games online. So please read our guide to the current Illinois gambling laws to see whether there’s such a thing as the
best online casino in Illinois
or whether you’ll have to wait until this becomes a reality.
💵 Is real money online gambling legal in Illinois?
Read our guide to Illinois online gambling to see if this is something that you can do with real money or whether you have to play with a kind of virtual currency. This is important as there’s not much point in hunting around for the
best sportsbook odds
unless you know that you’ll be getting a return from your wagering. So check out our Illinois gambling guide to find out more.
🎁 Can I get an Illinois casino no deposit bonus?
Check out our guide to what’s currently on offer at the best Illinois online gambling sites. We’ve seen plenty of
U.S. gambling apps,
putting on amazing deals for sports betting fans in Illinois. But you’ll need to read our guide to see whether there are any casino bonuses that people in the Prairie State can get without having to make any qualifying deposit.
