Illinois Online Gambling

Latest news on gaming, sports betting, lottery and online casino in Illinois

Illinois is already one of the largest gambling jurisdictions in the United States. And there will be even more Illinois gambling options popping up soon. That includes the arrival of as many as four new Illinois sportsbooks by the end of 2024.

Illinois casinos are thriving, including a temporary casino that opened in September 2023. That’s the precursor for Bally’s Chicago, set for construction in 2024 and a grand opening in 2026.

Illinois also boasts a thriving video gaming terminal industry and Illinois online casinos could be legal as early as 2024. The Illinois Lottery and a horse racing circuit are also prominent here.

Stay tuned to PlayIllinois for the state’s push for Illinois online casinos and the latest gambling news.

Best Illinois Online Gambling Sites

Affiliate Disclosure: If you place a bet at a sportsbook or online casino through one of our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. This may influence the gambling operators we list; however, the editors and writers of this website operate at their sole discretion, and their opinions are not beholden to any outside entity or organization. We recommend only legal and trusted gambling operators.

Rank
Sportsbooks
Bonus
Features
Play
1
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2
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3
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4
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5
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PLUS $50 Bonus Bet On Deposit 
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Legal Gambling Options in Illinois

Online Sports Betting

So far, there are eight regulated online sportsbooks in Illinois: BetRivers, DraftKings, FanDuel, PointsBet, Caesars, Barstool, BetMGM and Circa.

Two more new ones appear to be coming — Hard Rock Bet and Betway. Hard Rock Bet could begin taking bets in 2023. Betway could arrive in 2024. Also, look for ESPN Bet to take over Barstool’s Illinois Sportsbook sometime in 2023 and Fanatics to complete a purchase of PointsBet and take over PB’s operation in Illinois in 2024.

The more sportsbooks and the more competition, the better it is for you. Take advantage of welcome offers and bonus bets when you sign up at a legal Illinois sportsbook. All the popular betting options are available, including moneylines and same-game parlays.

Online Lottery

Today, you’ll find regular in-state draws and big multi-state prizes such as the Powerball and Mega Millions at the Illinois Lottery. Instant-play games are available; many of them are themed, such as Deal or No Deal. The Illinois Lottery offers fast play lottery online and at retail locations. You can buy Illinois lottery tickets online, too. There is also a lottery app where you can check drawing results.

The IL Lottery funds several charitable organizations in the Prairie State that support children, veterans and infrastructure.

Retail Sports Betting

Currently, there are 12 retail sports betting options in Illinois. Retail sportsbooks allow you to enjoy food and beverage service, watch the game on a big TV and bet on the game in person.

Every Illinois casino, racetrack and sports stadium can have a retail sportsbook. The newest operator, Circa Sportsbook, opened a sportsbook in The Temporary by American Place casino in Waukegan in September 2023. A Hard Rock sportsbook is also expected to open at its casino in Rockford. And a retail sportsbook is also expected to open in the Golden Nugget Casino Danville.

Retail sportsbooks are also open at the United Center (FanDuel) and Wrigley Field (DraftKings). Both are still awaiting approval from the Illinois Gaming Board before being allowed to take retail bets.

Thankfully, you can find a retail sportsbook at most Illinois casinos, racetracks or off-track betting locations.

Daily Fantasy Sports

Daily fantasy sports (DFS) contests run legally in Illinois. On April 16, 2020, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled that head-to-head DFS contests do not constitute gambling. So, it’s safe to play DFS in Illinois. Major sites, including FanDuel DFS, DraftKings DFS and Yahoo, offer real-money picks.

DFS is an online game where players compete against others by building a team of pro athletes with a limited salary cap. Players earn points (and victories) based upon those athletes’ performances in designated games.

Casinos

There are 14 casinos in Illinois that play host to slots, blackjack, roulette and more. Five more casino facilities are coming, including a major entertainment casino complex being built by Bally’s in Chicago.

Walker’s Bluff opened on Aug. 25, 2023.

The Golden Nugget Casino Danville opened on May 27, 2023.

The Temporary by American Place casino in Waukegan opened on Feb. 17, 2023.

The only real-money casino games allowed in Illinois are at retail casinos. Though, regulated online slots, online table games and online poker may be coming to Illinois in 2024.

The only legal online casino options operate using sweepstakes rules.

Poker

There are two types of real-money poker in Illinois: retail and charity. Rivers Casino near Chicago opened a new poker room in the spring. There are four poker rooms in Illinois:

  • Bally’s Quad Cities Casino and Hotel, Rock Island
  • Hollywood Casino, Aurora
  • Grand Victoria Casino, Elgin
  • Rivers Casino, Des Plaines

The Internet Gaming Act would legalize online poker in Illinois. If that legislature passes, the only legal online poker option is Global Poker, which operates under sweepstakes gaming rules.

Illinois Gambling FAQ

Yes, but only online sweepstakes casinos. There are several ways you can gamble in Illinois; however, two exceptions are online casino games and online poker. There is pending legislation that could see online casinos legalized in 2023.

Yes, casinos, horse racing, lottery gambling and charitable gambling have been legal in Illinois for many years.

Bill SB 690 adds online and retail sports betting to this list. Gov. JB Pritzker signed this bill in June 2019. The licensing process is under the jurisdiction of the Illinois Gaming Board. The first batch of sportsbooks went live starting in May 2020.

This bill allows for six more retail casinos in Illinois, including one in Chicago. The number of gambling machines in the state will also increase.

It’s a possibility. Several 2023 bills attempted to legalize online casinos in Illinois. It is expected to be a major legislative effort in 2024, as well.

The only options for online casino games are the nationwide sites that operate legally in the state under sweepstakes gambling laws. Brands include: Chumba Casino and LuckyLand Slots.

Not any time soon. As with casino games, online poker was not included in recent legislation. There is a sweepstakes site, Global Poker, that will legally offer online poker games in Illinois.

No, depositing at offshore casinos is a major risk.

These casinos are often based in small nations in the Caribbean or Central America, with little oversight. You won’t have anyone to turn to if you have nonpayment or other dispute.

You must be 21 years or older to place a bet legally in Illinois.

Most forms of gambling are available in the Prairie State, though not all of them are available online. These include:

  • Casino games and slots at retail casinos or online sweepstakes gambling sites.
  • Poker at casinos or charity poker rooms or via sweepstakes gambling.
  • Sports betting online or at retail venues.
  • Lottery games include Illinois-only draws, multi-state draws, scratch cards and online games.
  • Horse racing bets via the pari-mutuel pools, live and online.
  • DFS contests run in IL, though these are the topic of legal challenges.

There are also bingo and draws allowed under charitable gambling regulations.

Resources

Responsible gambling programs include all the protections and assistance for those who develop issues with their gaming habits.

Online sportsbooks provide additional tools and assistance to balance the ease of access. While most people gamble for fun and do so safely and responsibly, a small percentage of people have issues.

Responsible gambling features include:

  • Advice on what constitutes problem gambling (a self-assessment quiz).
  • A list of charities’ telephone numbers and websites that offer help.
  • Tools to manage bet and deposit amounts, and time spent on the gambling site.
  • Tools to take a timeout or completely self-exclude.