How to register for an Illinois sportsbook
The answers to if and when you can register for an online sportsbook in Illinois has been a roller coaster. We, at PlayIllinois, can give you the long and the short version of the tale of online sportsbook registration here.
Can I register for an Illinois sportsbook online?
No, no, you can’t.
Sports bettors in Illinois must now visit the retail casino to register for a legal online sportsbook.
Online registration has been in place since late August 2020 due to COVID-19. But on Friday, April 3, Gov. JB Pritzker let Executive Order 2020-41 expire, forcing bettors in Illinois to visit a retail sportsbook in order to sign up for an online account.
The Sports Wagering Act states that bettors must visit an Illinois casino to create an online account; however, the COVID-19 pandemic had thrown a wretch in that regulation. In response, Gov. JB Pritzker put an executive order in place in August 2020 to allow for online sportsbook registration. After months of renewals, that all ended on April 3, 2021.
The Illinois law says the in-person mandate sunsets when the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) issues the first of three online-only operator licenses, which was on June 11, 2020.
The law bars the IGB from issuing any of those licenses until 540 days after the first brick-and-mortar sportsbook starts taking bets. That clock began ticking in June 2020 when BetRivers Sportsbook took its first bets.
With that in mind, the face-to-face mandate has the potential to expire in December 2021.
When that occurs, residents and visitors who haven’t yet registered for any online sportsbook in Illinois will have to make plans to do visit their land-based partner. Furthermore, there are a few pieces of information you’ll need to have on hand. The first is an update on whether you need to step foot inside the casino or off-track betting (OTB) site.
Do I have to go inside an Illinois casino or OTB site to register?
Well, it depends.
It depends on whether Pritzker is permitting sportsbooks to accept registrations online (see the top of the page for the latest news).
It also depends on the sportsbook from which you’re registering because Illinois law doesn’t explicitly state you must register from inside the four walls of a brick-and-mortar casino.
DraftKings Sportsbook in Illinois allows bettors to register on their phones from the parking lot. The property, DraftKings at Casino Queen in East St. Louis, has set up Bluetooth beacons and WiFi in its parking lot to satisfy the state’s requirement for you to be on-site when you register.
The other four online sportsbooks in Illinois use a traditional route to registration. For potential BetRivers, FanDuel, PointsBet and William Hill sportsbook customers, you have to go into the related casinos or off-track betting sites to complete your registration.
Either way, it’s a quick process. In fact, it may take you longer to get to and from the casino or OTB then the amount of time you spend there. Here are the addresses you will need for in-person registration and each sites’ sportsbook operator.
Retail sportsbook locations in Illinois
| Online sportsbook | Launch date | Casino/OTB | Address | Distance from Chicago |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barstool | Online: March 11, 2021 Retail: March 11, 20201 | Hollywood Casino Aurora | 1 W. New York St., Aurora | 41 miles |
| BetRivers | Retail: March 9, 2020 Online: June 18, 2020 | Rivers Casino | 3000 S. River Road, Des Plaines | 17 miles |
| DraftKings | Retail: Aug. 5, 2020 Online: Aug. 5, 2020 | DraftKings at Casino Queen | 200 S. Front St., East St. Louis | 309 miles |
| FanDuel | Online: Aug. 28, 2020 Retail: March 1, 2021 | FanDuel Sportsbook & Horse Racing | 9301 Collinsville Road, Collinsville | 284 miles |
| PointsBet | Retail: Oct. 1, 2020 Online: Sept. 12, 2020 | Hawthorne Race Course | 3501 S. Laramie Ave., Stickney | 10 miles |
| PointsBet | Retail: Oct. 1, 2020 Online: Sept. 12, 2020 | Club Hawthorne Crestwood | 13148 Rivercrest Drive, Crestwood | 26 miles |
| PointsBet | Retail: March 16, 2021 Online: Sept. 12, 2020 | Club Hawthorne Player's Pub & Grill | 1250 S River Road, Prospect Heights | 26 miles |
| William Hill | Retail: Aug. 3, 2020 Online: Sept. 15, 2020 | Grand Victoria Casino | 250 S Grove Ave., Elgin | 40 miles |
*=sports betting service not yet offered but planned for the future
Now that you know where to go, you need to know what you need to take when you register. It’s a simple process, and even if in-person registration is in effect, you can do most of the process online.
What information do I need to share in order to register?
For the most part, registering for an Illinois sportsbook is no more complicated than registering for an account on any number of online shopping apps/websites. It’s also standard across all the sportsbooks in IL.
You can start the process on your computer, smartphone or tablet. If you’re using a mobile device, make sure the app you’re downloading is for the sportsbook in Illinois. Some sportsbooks have apps specific to other jurisdictions.
The same goes for desktop website users. Regardless of what device you’re using, you’ll have to agree to let the website use location services to identify your position.
You’ll also have to share the following identifying information:
- Legal name
- Mailing address
- Date of birth
- Social Security number (for tax purposes)
- Email address
After you’ve gone through all the registration steps you can complete online, you’ll need to visit the retail sportsbook location. Present your government-issued photo ID to the attendant, and he or she will click the mouse a few times, and you’re good to go.
After you have completed your registration, you can make a deposit into your account and place bets right there. Alternatively, you can start to use your computer or mobile device as well.
History of sportsbook registration in Illinois
Despite that legal sports betting in Illinois began in March 2020, there is already an interesting history of the registration component to this entertainment form, largely because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here’s a timeline of events surrounding sports betting and the pandemic:
- April 2, 2021: Gov. JB Pritzker allows Executive Order 2020-41 to expire, and the in-person registration mandate returns on April 4.
- March 5, 2021: Pritzker renews the executive order again until April 3.
- Feb. 5, 2021: Pritzker renews the executive order to allow online registration until March 6.
- Jan. 8, 2021: Pritzker renews the executive order until Feb. 6.
- Dec. 11, 2020: Pritzker renews the executive order again until Jan. 9, 2021.
- Nov. 13, 2020: Due to high COVID-19 case numbers, Pritzker allows mobile sports betting registration through Dec. 12.
- Oct. 16, 2020: Pritzker extends executive order to allow online sportsbook registration through Nov. 14.
- Sept. 14, 2020: Pritzker extends the order through Oct. 17.
- Aug. 21, 2020: Pritzker issues a new executive order suspending physical registration again.
- July 27, 2020: Pritzker lets the executive order expire and in-person mandate returns.
- July 9, 2019: Pritzker signs law legalizing sports betting in IL with in-person registration requirement for online wagering.
- June 18, 2020: BetRivers becomes the first legal online sportsbook in Illinois.
- June 5, 2020: Pritzker signs executive order suspending in-person registration requirement.
- March 9, 2020: BetRivers becomes the first legal retail sportsbook in IL.
IL Sportsbook Registration FAQ
Why does the in-person registration mandate exist?
The short answer to this is the state included this mandate to keep DraftKings and FanDuel from having an advantage over competitors because of their large rolls of daily fantasy sports (DFS) customers. What other states require bettors to register for online wagering in person? Currently, only Nevada has such mandate. Iowa’s mandate expired on New Year’s Day 2021, however. Rhode Island originally had a similar requirement but has since repealed it.
Why do some people criticize in-person registration?
Opponents argue it creates an incentive for bettors to continue to use illegal, offshore sports betting websites. Additionally, there is no evidence that face-to-face registration improves outcomes on preventing match-fixing or increasing responsible gambling.
Will I need to re-register when the in-person mandate returns?
No, if you registered online while the in-person mandate was suspended, you will not have to register again when it goes back into effect. Your registration met all the state’s requirements at the time you registered.
Do I have to be a legal resident of Illinois to register?
No, but you must be at least 21 years old and supply the sportsbook with all requested identifying documents/information.