Legal in Illinois 
Online gambling in Illinois has been a heated discussion in the state and the market surrounding different forms of gambling has caused some controversy. Now in 2022, sports betting is legal in IL, but there’s bad blood all around the state’s fresh gambling market. The last bill to regulate online casino gambling failed to pass in 2017, and since then there have been no attempts to legalize online casino apps.
Illinois has legalized online betting sites, but casino gaming online is still biding it’s time.
Illinois gambling sites have been able to offer sports betting and horse races betting since July 2020, after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down PASPA in 2018. For a long time, the state required gamblers to register in-person for betting, but that restriction was lifted on March 5th 2022.
Online gambling in Illinois is restricted to sportsbooks. All Illinois online sportsbooks need to secure a land based casino partner in order to operate in the state, and a sports betting license. Currently, seven sportsbooks have entered the sports betting market, and four sites have launched online sportsbooks. Online sports betting bonuses in Illinois range from deposit bonus matches to risk free bets.
| Online Sportsbook Sites | Promo Code | Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| Pointsbet | BONUS2000 | 2 Risk free Bets up to $2,000 |
| BetRivers | FINDER | $250 bonus |
| FanDuel | N/A, Use our link | $1,000 No Sweat First Bet |
| DraftKings | N/A | $1,000 deposit match |
| Barstool Sportsbook | N/A | $1,000 Risk Free Bet |
| Caesars Sportsbook Illinois (formerly William Hill) | FINDER15 | $1,500 Risk Free Bet |
| BetMGM Illinois Sportsbook | BONUSMGM | $1,000 Risk Free Bet |
PointsBet Sportsbook & app offers two bets worth $2,000 risk free for Illinois bettors. Check operator bonus info for more details.
Illinois is home to several riverboat casinos, some of which carry retail sportsbooks as well. Furthermore, sports betting in Illinois is allowed near sports venues. All retail sportsbooks and venues are eligible for obtaining a sports betting partner for online. So far, all the land based sports betting locations have done so, but nothing prevents Illinois operators from only having retail sports betting.
| Sportsbook | Opening Date |
|---|---|
| Rivers Casino des Plaines | 3/9/2020 |
| DraftKings at Casino Queen, East St. Louis | 8/5/2020 |
| Sportsbook at Argosy Casino Alton | 3/12/2020 |
| Grand Victoria Casino Elgin | 8/6/2020 |
| Hollywood Casino Aurora | 8/20/2020 |
| Hollywood Casino Joliet | 8/20/2020 |
| Par-A-Dice Casino | 9/10/2020 |
| Hawthorne Race Course | 9/30/2020 |
Before you can participate in sports wagering and bet on your favorite sports teams, you need to register for at least one of the legal online sportsbooks in Illinois. The most convenient method is to download a sports betting app on your mobile device, and sign up there. Sportsbooks are required to verify your identity for security, so you need to provide information like phone number, email address, and social security number.
You must then make your first deposit using approved payment options. Deposit options on a gambling site most often include credit cards, debit cards, bank transfers, and prepaid cards. All banking options can’t be used for a withdrawal, so you should always check the gambling site for the approved methods. Now you’re ready to bet on the White Sox!
Illinois has a strong riverboat casino tradition. Riverboat casinos became legal with the Riverboat Gambling Act in 1990. In 2019, Governor J.B. Pritzker singed the Illinois Gambling Act, making land based casinos legal. The bill also allowed for legal sports betting. Unfortunately, online casino gaming was not a part of the bill and therefore not included in the Illinois law.
Although online casino games in Illinois are not legal, you can still play casino games at the several riverboat casinos in the state. Illinois casinos offer legal gambling options such as slot machines, table games, and video poker. Some of the land based casinos even offer poker rooms. Residents and visitors to the Prairie State can enjoy one of the following legal retail casinos.
Rivers Des Plaines is one the most iconic Illinois Casinos.
Slots machines are also available at gaming terminals in Illinois. With the 2009, Illinois Video Gaming Act, the state legalized up to six slot machines for truck stops, bars with liquor licenses and fraternal organizations. Race tracks like Arlington Park have also requested to be allowed to have gaming machines on their premises, but have thus far been denied.
The Illinois casino industry has been strong since the 1990s, and legal forms of gambling has a strong foothold in the state. However, legal online sports betting, as well as online poker sites and online casino gambling have faced severe resistance in Illinois General Assembly. Online betting was finally legalized in 2019, and in 2020, the first online sportsbooks could start taking bets. However, online casinos in Illinois are not yet included in the gambling laws. Illinois Gaming Board is currently in charge of the licensing process for the gambling industry and provides resources for problem gambling.
The Illinois Gaming Commission only imposes a few standard regulations on sports bettors and Illinois casino customers. You need to be over 21 years of age to play casino games or bet on sports, and 18 years old to participate in the Illinois lottery games, such as Mega Millions. Furthermore, all online gambling must happen within Illinois state lines. Out of state gambling is not allowed. Gambling apps use geolocation technology to ensure you are in Illinois.
Online betting is the only form of online gambling legal in Illinois. However, Illinois sports betting apps didn’t get off to a good start. The gambling laws in Illinois required an in-person registration at first at a retail casino or race track. The law also stated that operators were not allowed to enter the state without an existing contract with a land based casino partner. However, the global health situation forced governor J.B. Pritzker’s hand in the summer of 2020. Pritzker signed off an executive order making online gambling legal without in person registration, allowing operators like DraftKings, FanDuel and BetRivers to start taking bets. Unfortunately, the mandate was re-instituted in 2021, before being completely disbanded on March 5th 2022.
State law does not currently allow online casino gambling in Illinois. Although the Illinois Gambling Act of 2019 allowed riverboat casinos to expand on land, it failed to mention casinos online. There have been two unsuccessful pushes for legalizing online gambling in Illinois, but both have failed in the senate. At the moment, there is an online gambling bill being considered, and the success of sports betting might aid in passing it.
DFS is not illegal or legal in Illinois, as the laws regarding gambling in Illinois do not address it. In 2015, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan issued an opinion about daily fantasy sports contests being a form of illegal gambling. However, DraftKings and FanDuel took the risk and continued their operations. So far, no law has been passed to regulate either, and now that online gambling is legal, there is a relatively small chance of DFS ever being banned in the state.
Horse race betting is available at more than 30 off track horse betting locations and horse racing tracks in Illinois. Furthermore, with the legalization of online gambling options, several horse racing sites like TVG, Twin Spires, and BetAmerica can now offer legal online betting on horse racing. Pari-mutuel horse race betting is allowed in Illinois.
Although online casinos are not allowed as per Illinois state law, residents can still play real money games online via the Online Lottery. Although these games don’t include online casino games, you can enjoy online draw games like Mega Millions and PowerBall lottery, and of course buy online lottery tickets.
Last updated: 06/27/2022
Yes. You can bet on sports at one of the several legal online sportsbooks in the state. However, online casinos are not legal in Illinois. However, you can play some games on a sweepstakes site we recommend for cash prizes.
You can either place wagers at one of the online betting sites in Illinois, visit one of the several riverboat casinos on the Mississippi River or Lake Michigan, or even off-track sites. These casinos offer real money slot machines, table games, video poker games, and poker rooms for players.
In short, no. Online poker on a casino site is not legal like it is in New Jersey or Pennsylvania. However, you can play at social poker sites, like global poker, and compete against others for prizes instead of cash. If you want to play real money poker in Illinois, you must visit a poker room at one of the state's brick-and-mortar casinos.
The legal gambling age is 21 years old for betting in Illinois. You can participate in lottery games and daily fantasy sports when you are 18.
Yes. FanDuel Sportsbook and DFS are perfectly legal in Illinois. You can get up to a $1,000 No Sweat First Bet (essentially a risk-free bet) when you join FanDuel IL. FanDuel Casino app is not yet available, since casino sites are not legal in IL.
DraftKings Sportsbook and DFS are legal in IL, although they have caused a lot of controversies. By registering on the DK Illinois website, you can get up to a $1,000 bonus.
A House bill named the Internet Gaming Act will be considered in the Fall of 2021 by Illinois lawmakers. This bill, introduced by Rep. Bob Rita, would expand online gambling laws in IL to include online poker, slot games, and table games. Penn National Gaming, which owns several casinos in IL, supports this bill in behalf of the gambling industry.
$1,000 Bonus
