Illinois Legal Online Gambling 2024
Illinois recently legalized domestic sports betting, but online casino games and poker rooms are still unavailable locally. To enjoy legal online gambling across all markets with one account, the best international betting sites have IL residents covered!
In 2019, Illinois expanded its domestic gambling options by formally legalizing retail and online sports betting. These launched in March and June 2020 respectively, though other forms of online betting are not available over the Internet. However, that doesn't mean that you can't legally access online casinos, poker rooms, and other markets safely and easily.
This page of our guide will take a look at the current legal status of legally betting within the state of Illinois, what federal laws have to say about online options, and what options are domestically available to IL residents. If you're interested in viewing more state laws, you can view our linked directory.
Gambling Laws In Illinois
There are currently 10 riverboat casinos in the Prairie State, all of which offer the full gamut of casino classics like slots, blackjack, video poker, and more. IL allows casino games, lotteries, scratch cards, and pari-mutuel wagering.
Illinois was one of the first states to get on board with allowing their residents to purchase lottery tickets online, though aside from sports betting, this is the only domestic online gaming market available. There are no tribal casinos in Illinois.
Illinois sports betting is available at 6 online sportsbooks and 11 retail locations.
Is Online Gambling Legal In Illinois?
Illinois does not have any online options for casinos or poker rooms, though online sports betting was legalized in 2019 and launched in June 2020 (21+ only). That said, there are no state or federal laws that prohibit you from participating in legal and regulated online betting provided the operators are based overseas. This means IL players who are at least 18 years old can enjoy expanded wagering online without breaking any laws.
IL State Facts & Quick Jump Menu
| State Facts | Quick Jump |
|---|---|
| State Motto: State Sovereignty, National Union | Top Rated Site |
| State Population: 12.88 Million | Illinois Casinos |
| Land Casinos: 10+ | Illinois Sportsbooks |
| Land Poker Rooms: 30+ | Illinois Poker |
| Legal Gambling Age: 18 | Frequently Asked Questions |
| Sportsbook Venues: 6 Online, 11 retail | Illinois Gambling News |
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Excluded States: CO, CT, DC, DE, KS, LA, MD, MI, NJ, NV, NY, OH, PA, WV
Are Casinos For Real Money Legal In Illinois?
Casino gambling in Illinois is permitted on riverboats exclusively. The state has a maximum of 10 licenses to offer casino gaming, and all are currently in use. These casinos are permitted to offer a variety of games to IL players who are at least 21 years of age:
- Casino Queen (East St. Louis)
- Harrah's Joliet (Joliet)
- Harrah's Metropolis (Metropolis)
- Hollywood Casino Aurora (Aurora)
- Grand Victoria Casino Elgin (Elgin)
- Hollywood Casino Joliet (Joliet)
- Argosy Casino Alton (Alton)
- Rivers Casino (Des Plaines)
- Par-A-Dice Casino (East Peoria)
- Jumer's Casino & Hotel (Rock Island)
Since the minimum age to enter a domestic land-based casino licensed by the state of Illinois is 21, we recommend interested players in online games who are at least eighteen to utilize legal international online casinos.
Is Online Casino Gambling Legal In Illinois?
There are no domestically supported online casinos in Illinois. But because there are not any state or federal laws that prohibit residents and visitors from participating in online casino games that is offered through an entity that holds all required credentials to operate legally within its respective jurisdiction, submits to third-party auditing of their fair gaming practices, and is based outside of the United States, players are free to visit and enjoy these types of sites. We recommend several legal US online casinos below.
Legal Illinois Online Casinos
This guide provides a listing of recommendations for Illinois online casinos that have all been vetted by industry professionals. This vetting process includes verification of site credentials to ensure they are indeed operating legally within the industry and can provide all necessary compliance certifications. We also examine their performances, game selections, banking suites, customer support standards, and all other elements of their operation. The following sites are all top-rated operations for legal IL online gambling.
Legal Online Casinos That Accept Illinois Players
| Site | Review | Bonus Offer | USA | Visit |
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Is Sports Betting Legal In Illinois?
IL legalized sports gambling after passing HB 3308 in June of 2019. The first brick-and-mortar Illinois sportsbook launched on March 9, 2020, and the first online sportsbook in Illinois accepted bets beginning on June 18, 2020.
However, given the number of popular professional and college teams in the state, these books tend to have high vigs compared to international online betting sites that take action from all US states, meaning offshore options typically offer players better payouts.
Is Online Sports Betting Legal In Illinois?
Yes, domestic online sports betting is legal in IL, though players must be over 21 years of age to place a sports bet in person or online. If you use an overseas operator to place your bets, you only have to be 18, which is one of the reasons we recommend this route.
Legal Illinois Online Sports Betting
Below is a list of recommendations from our professional sports analysts who specialize in reviewing online gambling sites. These all qualify as legal online sportsbooks for IL residents and have all been examined and evaluated to ensure up-to-date betting lines, valuable odds, and live in-game betting opportunities on all the games of the day. Each of these sportsbooks has a robust sports betting welcome bonus, a substantial selection of betting lines and wagering options, and covers all the sports categories you can think of.
Best Illinois Legal Online Sportsbooks
| Site | Review | Bonus Offer | USA | Visit |
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Is Illinois Poker Legal?
Illinois casinos do allow poker, and there are several stand-alone poker rooms in the state. However, these are restricted to those who are at least 21 years old, leaving many younger adults without any domestic poker options. This is one reason why we recommend the poker brands listed below, though online access is certainly the primary reason.
Is Online Poker Legal In Illinois?
While IL has no online poker platform, the state has shown interest via repeated legislative attempts to legalize state-regulated online poker sites. Though these attempts have so far failed, success with online sports betting could open the door in the future. In the meantime, using legal international online poker sites is legal according to state and federal law.
Legal Illinois Online Poker
We have compiled a listing of the top-rated legal US online poker sites that welcome locals as young as 18 years of age. Each brand below holds legitimate credentials, licensing, and compliance certifications required to legally offer their services to players around the world. We recommend each site without hesitation, as we have thoroughly vetted their platforms and gamble with them regularly ourselves. Pick any site you like – we know you'll make a great pair!
Top Rated Poker Sites
Open To Illinois Players
| Site | Review | Bonus Offer | USA | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Read Review | 100% Max $500 | Play now | |
| Read Review | 150% Max $1,500 | Play now | |
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FAQs
Latest Illinois Gambling News
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