Illinois Sportsbooks 2025 – Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks And Bonus Offers x6p3a

Illinois online sports betting is now legal, live, and available throughout the state. In-state bettors can choose from a variety of top online sportsbook apps and bet from the comfort of their own home. Latest operator to Illinois is bet365 on March 16. 2025. 5v5w6m

On this page we’ll take you through everything you need to know about sports betting in Illinois. From legalization to to promotions, rules, requirements, and everything in between.

After a contentious negotiation process, Illinois lawmakers finally pushed legal sports betting through the state legislature as part of a massive capital bill on June 3, 2019. Governor J.B. Pritzker signed the bill on June 28. The bill, SB 690, checks in at more than 900 pages, and sports betting, which initially had stood on its own, was wrapped into it to get it ed during an extended legislative session.

Nine months later, on the eve of the COVID-19-related shutdown of professional sports across the U.S., the first legal wager in Illinois was placed on March 9, 2020, at Rivers Casino, owned by Chicago-based Rush Street Interactive. It was a very exciting day when sports betting became legal in Illinois.

The Illinois sports betting law allows for statewide retail and online sports betting at casinos, racetracks, off-track betting parlors, and venues that house professional sports in Illinois. There are no tribal casinos in the state. Online sports betting apps were authorized on June 18, 2020.

More on Illinois Sports Betting Sites 6n3ql

I love going to Illinois. The food, the people, and the sports teams make it a special place. Whenever I touch down at O’Hare, the first sportsbook app I fire up on my iPhone is FanDuel Sportsbook. One reason why is because I don’t have to any separate apps to use FD in Illinois. The same FanDuel app I use back home works in Chicago or anywhere else in the Land of Lincoln. More sportsbooks are doing it this way, but FanDuel has perfected it.

Another reason why I like FanDuel is the ongoing promotions. Odds boosts, parlay insurance, and more are always available to me as a returning customer. I don’t have to worry about checking around for the best price because FanDuel always has competitive pricing and tons of betting options for all the games I want to wager on. Plus, if I end up at a Blackhawks or Bulls game during my stay, I can check out the FanDuel retail sportsbook at the United Center. FanDuel is a terrific option for anyone living in or visiting Illinois.

– Ted Dahlstrom, SportsHandle Editor

Illinois Online Sports Betting Sites 3y465i

Currently there are 15 online sportsbooks authorized, with ten currently operational. Here are the online sportsbooks currently accepting wagers in Illinois.

Illinois Land-based Sportsbooks 3b6a6f

Rivers Sportsbook was approved seven casino applications for Master Sports Wagering Licenses.

After those licenses were approved, Caesars Sportsbook opened its retail location at the Grand Victoria in Elgin on Aug. 1, 2020, DraftKings Sportsbook opened its retail location on Aug. 5, and Hollywood Casinos opened sportsbooks at its Aurora and Joliet properties on Aug. 20. Par-A-Dice Casino in East Peoria took its first retail wagers on Sept. 10, just before the college football season began in earnest. In March 2021, PENN Entertainment opened three retail locations in the state at the Hollywood Casinos in Joliet and Aurora, along with the Argosy Casino in Alton.

PENN at Argosy Casino Alton 595n4g

The Sportsbook at Argosy Casino Alton was set for its grand opening on March 16, 2020, after a soft launch the week before. The grand opening never happened after Illinois sports betting operations and casinos were ordered closed. Located in suburban St. Louis, the Argosy sportsbook is operated by PENN Entertainment. The book features teller windows, multiple kiosks, and plenty of TVs.

PENN Sportsbook – Hollywood Aurora and Joliet Sportsbook s135x

Aurora mayor Richard Irwin placed the ceremonial first bet — $20 on the Chicago White Sox Moneyline at -177 to defeat the Detroit Tigers — when the retail sportsbook opened on Aug. 20, 2020. The opening was delayed about three months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Bettors will find ticket windows and self-service kiosks in the sportsbook, which is located in the center of the casino floor. PENN Entertainment is the operator, so moving forward its certainly possible that ESPN BET branding takes over.

DraftKings at Casino Queen 1534f

DraftKings opened a sportsbook at Casino Queen on Aug. 5, 2020. DraftKings Sportsbook at Casino Queen is located in metro St. Louis, which will give at least some Missouri residents a chance to place sports bets (sports betting is not yet legal in Missouri).

DraftKings also has a sportsbook at the venerable Wrigley Field, which has expanded its footprint considerably over the past few years. This highly popular retail sportsbook includes a large restaurant and event space along with sports betting tellers and kiosks.

Caesars Sportsbook – Grand Victoria Casino 546f43

Caesars Sportsbook opened its retail sportsbook at the Grand Victoria, located in suburban Chicago. The book has flat-screen televisions throughout and high-top tables and comfortable chairs, so fans can stick around and watch games. Patrons can place bets at three full-service teller windows and also place their first bets online as part of the ongoing promotions the company offers new customers.

FanDuel Sportsbook – Par-a-Dice Casino 1b241m

FanDuel may have gone in reverse order in Illinois — it launched online wagering in the Land of Lincoln on Aug. 28, 2020 — but it was able to narrowly beat the kickoff to the NFL season with its retail launch in East Peoria on Sept. 10, 2020. The sportsbook is located just off the casino area proper and includes manual teller spaces and self-serve kiosks. Sizable screens provide betting lines and information for sports bettors. As mentioned, FanDuel is an Illinois online sports betting leader in offering new customers bonus bets.

bet365 – Walker’s Bluff Casino Resort 584t1f

bet365 made its long-anticipated debut in Illinois on March 16, 2025, through a strategic partnership with Walker’s Bluff Casino Resort. This expansion brings Illinois bettors a top-tier online sportsbook experience, featuring live betting, boosted odds, and seamless mobile wagering.

History of Sports Betting Legislation in Illinois 192qj

Illinois’ sports betting law didn’t turn out the way lawmakers initially envisioned. Politics played a huge role in the legalization of sports betting in Illinois, and stakeholders almost immediately referred to the bill as “not the best.”

Sports betting champions and state legislators Bob Rita and Mike Zalewski had to do a lot of horse-trading with Governor J.B Pritzker and his allies to get sports betting tacked onto a capital bill and eventually ed. That meant including a mandate for official league data, requiring in-person registration for the first 18 months, delaying the launch of stand-alone mobile platforms, banning betting in Illinois on the state’s collegiate sports teams, and including some tricky branding rules.

The legislation also includes a self-exclusion program for those with a gambling problem. By the end of it, stakeholders were happy to have sports betting in Illinois, along with the substantial tax revenue it will create, but had plenty to unpack.

The ‘Penalty Box’ 1q654j

The defining discussion on the way to legal sports betting in Illinois revolved on what was called the “penalty box.”

Designed to punish daily fantasy and sports betting titans FanDuel and DraftKings Sportsbook, the penalty box came into being after Neil Bluhm, owner of the Rivers Casino, in May 2019 asked lawmakers to keep FanDuel and DraftKings Sportsbook out of the Illinois sports betting market for three years. Bluhm said the two had operated their daily fantasy businesses illegally after an earlier decision by the state’s attorney general.

FanDuel and DraftKings Sportsbook pushed back, including briefly running ads lobbying against the delay, and lawmakers offered up a compromise of 18 months. In June 2020, DraftKings Sportsbook found an entry into the state through a casino partnership, and FanDuel wasn’t far behind.

College Carve-out 635qx

Lawmakers also compromised with stakeholders by honoring a request by state universities to ban betting in Illinois on college sports. Rather than completely prohibit that, Illinois lawmakers offered up the so-called “college carve-out,” in which betting on colleges in general is allowed, but bettors cannot place wagers on Illinois sports teams (Univ. of Illinois, Northwestern, etc.). Other states, including New Jersey, have a similar “carve-out.” In 2021, the legislature changed the rule to allow for betting on in-state college teams at retail locations only. This was seen as some sort of compromise but made most industry observers scratch their heads in confusion and bemusement. Betting on in-state colleges remains prohibited for online betting.

In addition, retail casinos wanted a requirement to include in-person registration for mobile s. The compromise was meant to stay in effect until the first mobile-only sportsbook was approved in the state. Pritzker’s executive order and subsequent renewals temporarily removed this requirement, but ultimately it was reinstated – subjecting Illinois sports bettors to months of additional in-person purgatory. However, it all came to an end on March 5, 2022. BetMGM saddled up it’s online-only license, officially launching in the state of Illinois, making online registration a reality statewide.

Official League Data 206412

In 2019, Illinois was one of just a few states in which lawmakers mandated that sportsbooks purchase “official league data.” The data mandate means that sportsbooks must purchase data from the pro leagues or their designees, and there is concern among operators that this will create a monopoly situation.

Virginia in January 2021.

The capital bill that sports betting in Illinois was attached to include all kinds of infrastructure improvements. Its age was the result of many years of work by lawmakers and brought a round of applause in the Senate when it finally ed.

Illinois Sports Betting Quick Facts: 6u3v2q

• It is legal to bet on college and professional sports, but since July 2024, betting on Illinois college teams is prohibited online; confusingly, it is now allowed at retail casinos only.
• In-person registration was required until March 5, 2022, but is now available online
  • Mobile-only platforms had to wait to go live until 18 months after retail sportsbooks, or mobile platforms tethered to retail books went live.
• Illinois requires sportsbooks to purchase “official league data”
• The legal age for sports betting is 21
• Sports betting revenue will be funneled to the “Rebuild Illinois” fund, which will provide for road improvements, education, and other good works
• Programs for those with a gambling program: The sports betting law includes the self-exclusion policy for those with a gambling problem that was created by the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) in 2002. IGB isters two programs to help those with a gambling problem: a self-exclusion program and a gambling problem registry. Though not a part of the sports betting law, it is worth mentioning that the Illinois Department of Human Services also has services available for those with a gambling problem
• Number of “master licenses” allowed: Up to 23
• Number of mobile-only licenses: 3
• One mobile “skin” is allowed per retail sportsbook, race track & sports venue
• Licensing fees range from $3 million to $20 million.  It will cost professional sports venues $10 million for a license, and stand-alone mobile operators will pay $20 million, making Illinois one of the priciest states in which to get a license
• As of July 1, 2024, Illinois introduced a graduated tax structure for sports betting operators, replacing the previous flat 15% tax on adjusted gross receipts (AGR), with rates ranging from 20% for AGR up to $30 million to a maximum of 40% for AGR exceeding $200 million. An additional 2% tax applies to AGR from wagers placed within Cook County, bringing the total tax rate for top-tier operators in that area to 42%.

Banking Options 5r1760

Although methods may vary from one sportsbook to another, Illinois sports betting, in general, will offer a number of viable depositing and withdrawal methods that are common in other states with safe, regulated legal sports betting. These options include:

• ACH (eCheck)
• Online banking
• PayPal
• Cash at the casino cages
• Site-specific prepaid debit card
• Skrill (e-wallet)
• Paper check
• PayNearMe: Pay with cash at any eligible 7-Eleven or CVS
• Visa / MasterCard credit & debit cards

Illinois Sports Betting Revenue 75s56

Online sports betting has been live in Illinois since June 2020. Since that time, revenue has continued to trend upwards, feeding money directly into the state coffers. Here’s a snapshot of what’s been happening over the past few months:

Illinois Professional Sports Teams 6v4l45

Illinois has seven professional sports teams that are all among the most popular in their respective leagues.

Chicago Bulls – The Chicago Bulls need no introduction. Though they haven’t been a national brand in a while, they have had some success since their 1990s heyday and actually made it to the Play-In Tournament after the 2023-2024 season.

Chicago Fire – The Fire have played in the MLS since 1998 and have won one MLS Cup in that time. They have bounced around stadiums, switching from the suburbs to the city, where they now play their home games at the venerable Soldier Field. Though they aren’t very good this year, they are still a proud franchise with a strong base of ers.

Chicago Sky – One could argue that the Chicago Sky have never been more popular than they are right now. Star college player (and NCAA Champion) Angel Reece is leading a youth movement as the newest member of the WNBA, and she is taking the Sky to new heights of popularity. The Sky really is the limit (sorry) in Chicago.

Chicago Bears – Of course, no team in Illinois is more popular than the Chicago Bears. Win or lose, everyone in the state loves the Bears. While they have done a lot more losing than winning lately, new QB Caleb Williams might be the missing piece that gets the Bears back in the playoffs.

Chicago Blackhawks – While the team’s record still isn’t very good, things are definitely moving in the right direction for the Blackhawks. Led by superstar Connor Bedard, the Blackhawks will be back in the playoffs in no time, ready to recapture the glory days of 10-15 years ago when they were a perennial powerhouse.

Chicago Cubs – The Cubs are beloved by many throughout Illinois, particularly after they finally broke through and won the World Series in 2016. Things haven’t gone quite as well since then, but at least they are playing in a newly remodeled Wrigley Field that now includes a DraftKings Sportsbook.

Chicago White Sox – The White Sox haven’t been good for a while now, and the team is particularly bad this year. That hasn’t stopped their ionate fans from continuing to the team and fill the seats at Comiskey Park.

More on Sports Betting Nationwide 1p3f6b

For more on the status of legal sports betting in every state, check out the table below which includes all the official SportsHandle pages for each state with legal sports betting. Thirty-eight states have some sort of sports betting, including every state bordering Illinois except for Missouri. Wisconsin does have sports betting, but right now it is only available in-person at a handful of tribal casinos, which is why the state is not included in the table below.

Illinois Sports Betting FAQ 33s2r