1. Is Online Gambling Legal In Illinois
2. Is Online Gambling Legal In Illinois Right Now
3. Is Online Gambling Legal In Illinois County
4. Is Online Betting Legal In Illinois
5. Is Online Sports Gambling Legal In Illinois

1. In a world where the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) has been repealed, online poker is gaining traction, and putting lottery games online are all slowly becoming the norm, Illinois has gradually positioned itself to become the next gambling mecca. A well-oiled gambling machine exists in the Midwest.
2. While Illinois is known for their online gambling law – 720 ILCS 5/28-1, does make transmitting sports-related information online a legal offence, it does not mention if it has the range to affect offshore casinos and bookies. Moreover, it does not specify the act of placing wagers.

Illinois has now legalized and launched sports betting. The bill was initially passed in June 2019, but preparations for a full launch took until March 2019. Both retail and online sports betting are legal, but online sports betting will take a while.

Home to the “Windy City” and an eternal favorite of gamblers, Illinois is the base for a multitude of successful online and live tournament poker professionals. Poker seems to be in the state’s blood; President Obama often recalls his late-night games of poker played during his time at the Illinois Statehouse. In the live poker scene, locals have a wide variety of upcoming tournaments in poker clubs and riverboat casinos they can enter. Illinois has a more complicated relationship with real cash online poker.

In our guide to online poker in Illinois, we’ll explain and analyze the current gambling laws in Illinois, while discussing the poker sites which accept players from the state. We’ll discuss the odds that Illinois lawmakers regulate the Internet poker industry. This review of Illinois online poker laws will analyze whether existing gaming interests in the state support or oppose such laws.

Illinois Online Poker Guide

If you want to play online poker in IL, we suggest that you choose a room from our list below. The poker sites in this list have been chosen because they accept Illinois players, are regulated and – most importantly – have the softest games of all available Illinois online poker rooms. Here are the top legal Illinois online poker rooms:

Is Online Poker Legal in Illinois?

Illinois is a state that does face some restrictions when it comes to playing poker online. Some sites that take players from other states don’t accept new players from Illinois. Read Poker Atlas for the latest updates on live poker events at local card clubs and the riverboat casino scene. As for online poker in Illinois, we have you covered.

Thankfully, you don’t have to worry about finding the right site that will allow you to sign up from Illinois; our list of real poker sites in Illinois on this page is comprised exclusively of rooms that take players from Illinois, saving your time for the online poker tables.

Latest Updates Through 2020

Actions in the Illinois legislature in 2017 gave many legal online poker supporters hope that lawmakers were beginning to see the positives of legalizing and regulating online gaming. There was a bill that would’ve done just that for online poker and casino games, which passed the full Senate by a 42-10 vote in May, but the House bill never made it through committee as hearings were cancelled at the last minute.

However, online poker remained on the table going into 2018. State Representative Michael Zalewski’s H.479 was still being pushed, and he was confident that the right mix of gambling expansion projects would be appealing to a majority of lawmakers.

The tide began to turn not long after the United States Supreme Court overturned PASPA, which allowed New Jersey and all other states to address sports betting as they chose. Supporters of online gambling revised SB.7 to add daily fantasy sports and sports betting to the bill, but it happened late in the session and too close to its closing date of May 31.

Senate Bill 7 became a bipartisan bill, with several Republican and Democratic sponsors: Senators Terry Link, Dave Syverson, Mattie Hunter, and Donne Trotter; and Representatives Robert Rita, Rita Mayfield, Chad Hays, and Litesa Wallace. The proposal included articles for the “Fantasy Sports Act,” “Internet Gaming Act,” and “Sports Wagering Act.” Importantly, though, the bill lacked details about tax rates, licensing, and the regulatory framework.

One of those sponsors, Rita, then took an opportunity in the summer of 2018 to announce two hearings to discuss gambling expansion for Illinois. The first was held on August 22 in Chicago, and it was more than four hours of debate featuring members of joint committees. The main topics were new land-based casinos and expanded numbers of video gaming terminals.

The second hearing in early October was held in Springfield and focused heavily on sports betting. Horse racing takes precedence in Illinois and it became clear that there were many issues to be worked out before a solid bill could be drafted and presented to legalize sports betting, but it will be a priority for many lawmakers in 2019. This may mean that SB.0007 could be discarded and rewritten, and it is unclear whether online poker and casino games will be included in a new online gambling bill to be considered in early 2019.

Some speculation was correct for 2019 in that lawmakers were ready to pull together for gambling expansion in the state of Illinois. However, online poker and other forms of internet gambling were not a part of that picture. No matter the intentions of some lawmakers, it did not happen.

In the summer of 2019, a massive gambling expansion bill passed through the legislature after months of negotiations and discussions. Governor J.B. Pritzker signed it into law. It included the legalization of video gaming terminal (VGT) establishments, five new casinos in Illinois, a mega-casino in Chicago, a new racetrack, slot machines and table games in racetracks (making them racinos), and sports betting.

There will be 16 retail sportsbooks in the state and three online sportsbooks for Illinois. Casinos, racetracks, and stadiums may begin applying for sports betting licenses in December 2019. Sports betting should be live in land-based establishments and online sometime in 2020.

The future for online poker and internet slot and table games remains unknown. The inability to include online gambling into the 2019 omnibus bill was disappointing, and it is not known if there will be an opportunity to legalize those online games in 2020.

Illinois Law and Online Poker

So where does Illinois stand when it comes to the law and online poker? The state does address the issue of online gambling directly in its law, so let’s talk a bit more about that part of the Illinois statute and a few other aspects that should be of interest to the typical online poker player.

First, what constitutes gambling in Illinois? The law is pretty clear; gambling occurs when someone

“plays a game of chance or skill for money or other thing of value” (Section 28-1).

The only exceptions are state-approved forms of gambling.

Violation of that section as a player is a class A misdemeanor (Section 28-1(c)). Illinois does not have a history of aggressively pursuing mere participants in illegal gambling.

What does Illinois law have to say about online gambling? It is illegal if someone plays poker online?

“knowingly establishes, maintains, or operates an internet site that permits a person to play a game of chance or skill for money or other thing of value by means of the internet or to make a wager upon the result of any game, contest, political nomination, appointment, or election by means of the internet” (Section 28-1(12)).”

Nothing in the section (or in any other part of Illinois law) appears to directly address the act of participating on such “internet sites” as a mere player.

What you’re left with is a situation that, to some degree, lacks legal clarity. However, that should not be mistaken as a blanket endorsement that all online gambling activity is explicitly legal. In such cases of uncertainty, players should start by reviewing the laws of Illinois personally, and then continue by consulting a lawyer if questions persist.

Illinois Gambling Guide

Most accounts of Illinois history assign gambling an early and prominent role in the story of the state. Whether through the lotteries of early settlers, the famous riverboat gambling ships that cruised Illinois waters during the 1800s or the ubiquitous, ever-present gambling halls of Chicago, you’d be hard-pressed to pick a point in the Illinois timeline that didn’t involve gambling in some way, shape or form.

Today’s gambling industry in Illinois is a result of nearly forty years of legislative shifts toward gambling expansion, one that began in 1974 with the authorization of the state lottery. Online poker legislation is an extension of those legislative trends, but like many states with a substantial land-based gambling industry, the existing interests complicate iGaming bills.

What Gambling is Regulated in Illinois?

Most popular forms of regulated gambling are permitted under Illinois law. In addition to the state lottery and the multiple casinos spread across the state, there is also legal pari-mutuel wagering in Illinois and a wide slate of charitable gambling formats.

Illinois has vastly expanded its gambling offerings in recent years, most extensively with a massive gambling expansion bill in 2019.

There had been more than 32,561 video gaming terminals (VGTs) in Illinois, but there will be more when the new law is implemented in 2020 with the creation of full VGT establishments. There were also 10 casinos in the state, but that was expanded this year to allow for five new casinos to be built and a mega-casino/resort in the city of Chicago. And on top of the three horse racing tracks in Illinois already, an additional one was approved in 2019. Racetracks will also be able to expand to become racinos and offer up to 1,200 casino games, including slots and table games.

Online lottery games have been available for some time, but sports betting will now be available online. In 2020, there will be three online sportsbooks to complement the 16 retail sportsbooks. In addition, there will be 2,500 sports betting lottery kiosks permitted throughout the state.

All Poker and Gambling Laws by State

• Illinois was close last year. There was a strong bill championed by State Representative Robert Rita and others, there were hearings, and there was widespread support for the sports betting part of the bill. Online poker and casino games were also included in that gambling expansion bill, along with new

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• December 28th, 2018

  Last year, the attempt to predict which states might join the ranks of those with legalized online poker was not very successful. In fact, only one state actually passed such legislation in 2018, but at the very last minute, on December 28, that state’s governor vetoed the bill. Oh, Michigan!

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• October 18th, 2018

  Illinois was one of only a few states that held open the possibility of legalizing online poker and other casino games in latter part of 2018. The consideration has been part of a larger gambling expansion bill that was and remains on the table for lawmakers this year. While online

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• August 26th, 2018

  While most other states that had considered online poker in 2018 abandoned those ideas earlier in the year, Illinois remained open to it. One lawmaker continues to champion one bill, and its future may depend on a legislative hearing set for October. The process of legalizing online gaming – whether

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• August 2nd, 2018

  Most states that examined online poker in early 2018 have abandoned it for the year, as legislative sessions ended and no plans were made to revisit online gaming at all in the next few months. Illinois, it appears, is not one of those states. There wasn’t much hope placed in

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• May 29th, 2018

  Online poker and gambling became real legislative possibilities for Illinois in 2017. The Senate even passed a bill to legalize and regulate those internet games one year ago, but the companion bill on the House side never garnered enough support to even pass a committee. There has been no word

  Read Full

IL Online Poker and Gambling Facts: Objective Sources

ICGA . The Illinois Casino Gaming Association is a trade group representing the interests of many of Illinois’ casinos. The group’s site provides useful research material for those interested in the Illinois gambling industry.

Illinois Gaming Board. The official site for the state gaming board is the definitive resource for legal and regulatory information concerning gambling in Illinois. Get information on meetings, measures, help with problem gambling and self-exclusion along with a wealth of statistical information at the IGB website.

ICPG The online home for the Illinois Council on Problem Gambling is a central location providing access to a 24-hour helpline, speakers, and resources for educators, families and players. The ICPG is opposed to poker laws that expand and regulate the industry.

Famous Illinois Poker Players

There are actually a number of points at which the history of poker and the history of Illinois intersect. One example is the story of James Butler Hickok, better known as “Wild Bill.” It was Hickok’s death that gave a name to the now-famous “dead mans hand” – two pair, aces and eights, said to be held by the lawman when he was shot during a poker game.

Another example comes in the colorful tale of Nick “The Greek” Dandolos, who called Chicago home for much of his life. Dandolos was part of the mythic (and much debated) match up with Johnny Moss that is often cited as the template for the World Series of Poker. A final, and more modern, illustration of the shared history between poker and Illinois is author and poker player Jim McManus, who lives in the state.

The plethora of live poker rooms in Illinois have allowed poker players to flourish in Illinois through the years. Even so, many of the state’s most famous players garnered most of their experience online.

Almost all of the top live tournament earners in Illinois were famous first for their online play, like Connor Drinan, Mohsin Charania, Gavin Griffin, and Kevin Saul. Their online poker earnings are not even included in the numbers below, which goes to show how well most of them crossed over from online to live play.

The top-ranked players from Illinois, as of 2019, are as follows:

1. Connor Drinan ($11.3 million)
2. Mohsin Charania ($6.2 million)
3. Gavin Griffin ($5.1 million)
4. Ryan Tosoc ($4.8 million)
5. Aaron Massey ($4.1 million)
6. Jason Wheeler ($4 million)
7. Ravi Raghavan ($4 million)
8. Kevin Saul ($3.7 million)
9. Chris Moor ($3.6 million)
10. Kyle Julius ($3.5 million)

Sources & Citations For This Article on Illinois Online Poker

It’s an exciting time for Illinois residents who enjoy gambling. Illinois has
legalized almost all forms of gambling, aside from greyhound racing, and they’re
considering legalizing online gaming activities.

Online Gambling and Illinois Law

Is Online Gambling Legal in Illinois?

Illinois has a specific law that makes it illegal to operate an internet
casino.

But it doesn’t have any laws about playing online.

Here’s the law that prohibits anyone from operating an internet casino
according to the Illinois Compiled Statutes:

“(a) A person commits gambling when he or she:

knowingly establishes, maintains, or operates an Internet site that permits
a person to play a game of chance or skill for money or other thing of value by
means of the Internet or to make a wager upon the result of any game, contest,
political nomination, appointment, or election by means of the Internet.”

Can I Get Arrested for Gambling Online in Illinois?

It’s unlikely that you’ll get arrested for gambling online in Illinois.
Although it’s possible to be arrested for gambling online in Illinois, we
haven’t found any residents who have been charged with a crime.

Law enforcement in Illinois is more focused on residents who are operating
online gambling sites.

Is Illinois Going to Legalize Online Gaming?

It’s possible that online gaming is going to be legalized in 2017 in
Illinois.

As of June 2017, a bill to legalize and regulate both online gaming and daily
fantasy sports has been passed by the Illinois state senate.

The bill allows both casino products and online poker.

Only state licensed casinos or horse racing operators will be eligible for an
online license. A business that seeks a license and is successful will be
required to pay a $10 million deposit for tax obligations.

If the bill continues it will create the Internet Gaming Act. An internet
gaming division will open as a division of the Illinois gaming board also.

Are Daily Fantasy Sports Legal in Illinois?

Daily fantasy sports are not legal in Illinois yet.

Read the information above for more information on a bill that’s currently
being considered in Illinois.

How Do I Choose A Good Online Gaming Site?

If you’re looking for Illinois gambling sites where you can play for real
money, you’ll be dealing with offshore sites. Keep in mind that the state of
Illinois considers these sites’ activities illegal.

But there’s no reason you can’t have a safe and pleasant experience gambling
at some of these casinos.

• Read reviews and complaints

Reading reviews and complaints is the easiest
way to find a good online gaming site. Do an internet search for the name of the
site you’re considering and for words such as reviews and complaints. Search
the reviews for badly rated ones to learn about problems members have had with
the site, like not getting paid.

Look for results written by past members on forums or review sites. Keep in
mind, though, that forums or review sites could have been paid to write a review
and might not give you a good idea of the actual site from a member’s view.

We offer detailed reviews with coverage of both the pros and cons of each of
the Illinois gambling sites. Those are the kinds of reviews that you should look
for.

• Customer Service

Talk to the customer service team at the site you’re
considering. You can instant chat, email, or call them. The question you ask
them doesn’t have to be a complicated one; it can even be one like where to
locate the deposit options.

The point of contacting them isn’t to answer a question. It’s to get a feel
for how quickly they respond to people and how professional they are. You don’t
want to give your money to a company that has poor customer service because, if
you have a problem it will be a hassle to get it resolved.

• Games Offered

Check out the variety of games a site offers. Some sites have
a wide range of different games and promotions to go along with them. Other
sites focus on one game such as Texas hold’em and sometimes offer either better
or more promotions that relate to that game.

Here’s an example:

If you’re only interested in playing live dealer blackjack via webcam, you
shouldn’t sign up at a site that offers nothing but video poker and slot
machines.

• Deposit and Payment

Considering the deposit and payment information on a
site is an important step to picking a good one.

Make sure the site you’re considering has deposit and withdrawal options
which you’re both familiar with and comfortable using.

Payment information which you might find useful includes fees, processing
times, and when you can withdraw your funds.

Are Offshore Gambling Sites Safe?

Offshore gambling sites are safe as long as you do your research before
signing up for one.

Some important points you should research before signing up for an offshore
gambling site are what licensing the site has and how long the site has been in
business.

The information you can find on a site will vary based on how long a site has
been in business. If a site has been in business for a long time, the reviews
and information on the site are easier to come by. A site that’s been in
business for a decent amount of time also has to have some loyal customers that
are happy with the site, which is a thumbs up when looking for an online
gambling site.

Look into the site’s licensing to find out what regulations they have to
follow.

Some areas have strict requirements when licensing a gaming site and others
basically hand them out to anyone with enough money. Learning what requirements
a state has to meet before getting a license gives you an idea on how safe the
site is.

Some sites also have a restriction on who they can offer their gaming
services too. Make sure the site you’re considering can legally offer online
gaming to your state. If they don’t, they might not allow you to sign up for the
site. Or even worse: you do sign up, deposit money, and then can’t withdraw any
winnings so you’re just out whatever you deposited.

More Gambling Laws in Illinois

• Casino Games (Legal)
• Sports and Race Betting (Legal)
• Lottery (Legal)
• Bingo (Charitable Games Only)
• Social Gambling (Illegal)

Casino games: Legal

Originally riverboat casinos that were sailing were the only legal type of
casino in Illinois, but in the present day riverboat casinos that are docked are
legal.

Casinos in Illinois are authorized to have a variety of games including
craps, roulette, blackjack, poker, and slot machines.

Here’s some information on casino gambling in Illinois from the Illinois
Gaming Board:

“The Riverboat Gambling Act was enacted in February 1990, making Illinois the
second state in the nation to legalize riverboat gambling. In September 1991,
the first riverboat casino began operation in Alton. Currently, there are ten
casinos operating throughout the State of Illinois.

The Video Gaming Act was enacted in July 2009, authorizing the placement of
up to five Video Gaming Terminals (VGTs) in licensed Retail Establishments,
Truck Stops, Veteran and Fraternal Establishments. The VGTs are all connected to
and monitored by a Central Communications System.”

Check out a list of approved games according to the Illinois Gaming Board.

Sports and race betting: Legal

Horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering on horse racing is legal in Illinois.

According to the Illinois Compiled Statutes:

Is Online Gambling Legal In Illinois

“Participants in any of the following activities shall not be convicted of
gambling:

Offers of prizes, award or compensation to the actual contestants in any
bona fide contest for the determination of skill, speed, strength or endurance
or to the owners of animals or vehicles entered in such contest.

Pari-mutuel betting as authorized by the law of this State.”

Greyhound racing is outlawed in Illinois.

Lottery: Legal

Illinois has a state regulated lottery. They offer a variety of games,
subscriptions, and an option to play online.

Here’s some information about the Illinois Lottery according to their website:

“The Illinois Lottery began July 1, 1974 amid great excitement across the
state. During its first years, it sold “passive” games via weekly drawings.
First year sales topped $129 million. Sales faltered in subsequent years, after
the novelty of the Lottery wore off, prompting some to call for an end to the
Lottery.

Lottery profits initially went to the State’s General Revenue Fund, until
legislation was passed in 1985 earmarking profits for the Common School Fund,
which is still the Lottery’s major benefactor. 2006 saw the first “specialty
instant games” launched; these games benefit a particular cause like Illinois
Veterans, the fight against breast cancer, MS research, and assistance for
people living with HIV-Aids. In 2010, the Lottery began contributing to the
Capitol Projects Fund, which helps build and renovate state roads and bridges.

It has a current operating budget of about $30 million a year and employs 152
people, including 80 employees who take their direction from the Lottery’s
private manager, Northstar Lottery Group. With Northstar’s assistance, the
Lottery launched an internet sales pilot project for Lotto and Mega Millions on
March 25, 2012, when it became the first US lottery to sell tickets on the
internet.”

Illinois Lottery games include jackpot games, daily games, daily drawings,
and instant games.

Is Online Gambling Legal In Illinois Right Now

Bingo: Charitable Games Only

Charitable games for nonprofit organizations are legal in Illinois.

According to the Charitable Games Act in Illinois:

“The General Assembly finds that: (1) not-for-profit charitable organizations
provide important and necessary services to the people of the State of Illinois
with respect to educational and social services; and (2) there is a need to
provide methods of fund raising to such not-for-profit organizations so as to
enable them to meet their stated charitable and social purposes.”

Qualified organizations to host charitable games defined by the Charitable
Games Act is the following:

Is Online Gambling Legal In Illinois County

“a charitable, religious, fraternal, veterans, labor or educational
organization or institution organized and conducted on a not-for-profit basis
with no personal profit inuring to anyone as a result of the operation and which
is exempt from federal income taxation”

Here’s how the Charitable Games Act in Illinois defines charitable games:

“Charitable games” means the 14 games of chance involving cards, dice,
wheels, random selection of numbers, and gambling tickets which may be conducted
at charitable games events listed as follows: roulette, blackjack, poker, pull
tabs, craps, bang, beat the dealer, big six, gin rummy, five card stud poker,
chuck-a-luck, keno, hold-em poker, and merchandise wheel.”

Other charitable games include raffles, bingo, pull tab, and jar games. Each
game has a different set of regulations determined by the Charitable Gaming laws
in Illinois.

Social gambling: Illegal

According to the Illinois Compiled Statutes:

Is Online Betting Legal In Illinois

“A person commits gambling when he or she:

• (1) knowingly plays a game of chance or skill for money or other thing of
  value, unless excepted in subsection (b) of this Section;
• (2) knowingly makes a wager upon the result of any game, contest, or any
  political nomination, appointment or election;
• (3) knowingly operates, keeps, owns, uses, purchases, exhibits, rents, sells,
  bargains for the sale or lease of, manufactures or distributes any gambling
  device;”

Based on the above law, social gambling is illegal.

But it doesn’t seem that law enforcement is interested in stopping small
stake games played at resident’s homes.

Gambling Venues in Illinois

1) Argosy Casino Alton

1 Piasa St

Alton, IL 62002

Phone number: (800) 711-4263

2) Par-A-Dice Hotel and Casino

21 Blackjack Blvd

East Peoria, IL 61611

Phone number: (309) 699-7711

3) Jumer’s Casino & Hotel

777 Jumer Dr

Rock Island, IL 61201

Phone number: (800) 477-7747

4) Hollywood Casino Aurora

1 W New York St

Aurora, IL 60506

Phone number: (630) 801-1234

5) Harrah’s Metropolis

100 E Front St

Metropolis, IL 62960

Phone number: (618) 524-2628

6) Harrah’s Joliet

151 N Joliet St

Joliet, IL 60432

Phone number: (815) 740-7800

7) Hollywood Casino & Hotel Joliet

777 Hollywood Blvd

Joliet, IL 60436

Phone number: (888) 436-7737

8) Casino Queen

200 S Front St

East St Louis, IL 62201

Phone number: (800) 777-0777

9) Grand Victoria Casino Elgin

250 S Grove Ave

Elgin, IL 60120

Phone number: (847) 468-7000

10) Rivers Casino

3000 S River Rd

Des Plaines, IL 60018

Phone number: (847) 795-0777

Is Online Sports Gambling Legal In Illinois

Additional Resources

The Future & Your Views

The future of Illinois gambling looks bright.

Illinois has already legalized casinos, charitable gaming, pari-mutuel
wagering, and has a state lottery.

Illinois gambling sites and daily fantasy sports competitions look like
they’re coming in the near future. If the state legalizes online gambling,
Illinois residents will find both poker and other casino products available.