Can You Bet Online In Illinois

You don’t have to look far past the Bears, Bulls, Blackhawks, Cubs, Illini, or White Sox to realize Illinois is a major sports state. As is common with other major sport states, you have lots of people who love to bet on sports. Thankfully, it’s easy to bet online for real money by using any of these trusted Illinois sports betting sites.

If you’re looking to wager with real money on your favorite local team, or any other team around the country or globe, then you’re in luck. We’ve compiled a comprehensive list of the best Illinois sports betting sites currently offering their services.

All these sports betting sites can be trusted as they use the ethical and standard business practices that all legitimate sportsbooks enforce. These websites will provide players with all the information they need in order to successfully make their real money bets.

Whether you’re a fan of the Chicago Bears, Cubs, White Sox, Blackhawks or Bulls, the Illinois legislature has gone all-in on giving bettors within the state the opportunity to place online sports bets on the home team – well, the professional ones anyway.

Also, these books are constantly updated and known for their accessibility and easy-to-use approach for all visiting patrons, making it simple and quick for anybody interested to place their wagers.

1. FanDuel Sportsbook features bets now available for Illinois users! New users get their first bet RISK-FREE up to $1,000! Bet on all major U.S. Sports, including professional football, soccer, basketball, baseball, golf, boxing, motorsports racing, and more.
2. The issue is that bettors can sign up online (you can claim $1,000 in sign-up bonuses here), but must place their first bet at DraftKings at Casino Queen in East St. — more than four hours southwest of Chicago. After activating in person by placing a bet on Casino Queen’s WiFi, bettors can wager entirely online.

What Makes These Illinois Betting Sites Great?

Not a single one of you came here to find the most mediocre sports betting sites in Illinois. You want the best, and we think you deserve nothing short of that. Because we care that much, we wanted to make sure we were transparent about why you should trust our online sportsbooks review above any others.

Reviews and Rankings Are Unbiased and Can’t Be Bought

You cannot pay us for a higher ranking, better review, or placement on our recommended list. We take what we do seriously, and there’s no way we can stand behind our list of the top IL betting sites without standing firm on this.

Information Is Kept Up to Date and Regularly Audited

You’re not going to see online sportsbooks recommendations from years ago on our listings. Our team works tirelessly to keep our recommendations, stats, bonus codes, and betting information up to speed with the latest information.

Our Focus and Goal Is You

We can sum all of this up in one sentence—our focus and goal is you. If we can help you to find the best Illinois sports betting sites available on the market and you have a great experience, we’ve done our job.

Is Sports Betting Online in Illinois Legal?

Yes. On the last day of the state legislature’s session in the spring of 2019, House and Senate lawmakers passed a bill expanding gambling online and at brick and mortar locations across the state. Proponents of the bill successfully pushed the argument that expanded gaming would bring in around $200 million in additional annual revenue to the state. This was a major step forward for Illinois sports betting sites.

Fast forward to the beginning of 2020 and the state is inches away from fully rolling out state-regulated online gambling. Initially, only brick and mortar casinos were allowed to apply for licenses, which cost $10 million each.

What’s unique is that not just casinos were included in being offered applications. Across the state, 10 casinos, three racetracks, and seven sporting venues were invited to apply. Yes, you heard that correctly—sporting venues are included.

Online-only websites like DraftKings and FanDuel are required to wait 18 months until they are allowed to apply. Even then, there will only be three licenses available to online-only providers, and they will cost twice as much at $20 million a pop. Still, we expect heavy competition for those licenses.

Banking Options at Illinois Sports Betting Sites

A chief concern from those looking into online betting in Illinois is the financial side. How are you going to deposit money into your online sportsbook? How do you get your winnings? How long does it take to get paid? Is the banking safe? All of these are great questions we’re going to address right now.

How Are You Going to Deposit Money Into Your Online Sportsbook?

Getting money onto Illinois online betting sites is quick and easy, thanks to technology and updated banking integrations. Popular methods include:

• Credit cards
• Debit cards
• E-wallets
• Cryptocurrency
• Direct bank transfers
• Money management services

Can You Bet Online In Illinois

How Do I Get Paid My Real Money Winnings From Illinois Sports Betting Sites?

Illinois betting sites pay customers through a multitude of different options. Each site will have a slightly different lineup of available banking options, but these are the most popular.

• E-wallets
• Cryptocurrency
• Direct bank transfers
• Money management services
• Credit and debit cards (in some cases)
• Checks by courier

How Long Does It Take to Get Paid Your Winnings From IL Sports Betting Sites?

Depending on the cashout method you choose, your money will arrive in your bank account or e-wallet account between a few hours and a few days. The only exception to this is checks by courier which can take up to two weeks to arrive.

Is the Banking at Illinois Sports Betting Sites Safe?

As long as you stick to using trusted and vetted options, your banking and site experience will be safe. All of the top options recommended in this guide utilize proper high-level encryption, perform regular site audits, and put your safety as their top priority.

What Sports Can I Bet on at IL Sportsbooks?

When it comes to what you can bet on at the options listed here, the list is pretty long. First, you’ll be able to wager on all of the four major sports—basketball, baseball, hockey, and football. This means the Bulls, White Sox, Cubs, Blackhawks, and Bears fans have full access to a wide array of wagering options on their favorite local teams.

For those looking to get sports betting action elsewhere, though, you’ll still be covered. These Illinois online sportsbooks offer action on many other sports, including college sports, soccer, tennis, golf, auto racing, combat sports, politics, entertainment, dog racing, horse racing, and much more. Honestly, if it’s something that can be bet on in the world, one of these online sportsbooks will offer some type of action on it.

Regarding the types of bets available, expect to see an impressive list of wager types including all popular bets and more unique wager types like parlays, in-game wagers, teasers, pleasers, and more. Those looking into online betting in Illinois will have extensive flexibility when it comes to selecting wagers.

Getting Started Betting Online in Illinois Now

At this point, you don’t have anything holding you back from diving into the action. Check out any of the options on our list of the best Illinois sports betting sites now, and you’ll be making real money bets in a matter of minutes. Long gone are the days of having to drive to a sportsbook in another state to place a bet.

Illinois has become one of the most pro-gambling states in the country, and following the repeal of the federal law that had prohibited states from legalizing sports betting, lawmakers got to work and began the process that would allow them to present a sports betting bill before the state legislature.

In addition to the status of sports betting in Illinois, we want to provide you with information on the current sports betting laws in the state and where adults who are over the age of 18 can wager at online sportsbooks in the Land of Lincoln.

Top-Rated Online Sportsbooks For 18+ Illinois Bettors

Can you bet on sports at age 18 in Illinois?

Currently, Illinois residents and visitors can wager at domestic sportsbooks or via mobile betting apps. Domestic sports betting were legalized in 2019 and launched in 2020, However, these sports betting avenues in IL are limited to gamblers that are 21 years of age or older. 18+ sports bettors can place a wager with an international betting site because there is no law prohibiting the act as long as it is legally licensed and located offshore, such as the sites found on this page.

Can You Bet On Horses Online In Illinois

Is it legal to bet at 18+ online sportsbooks in Illinois?

No, domestic sports betting options are only available to those that are over 21 years old. It is only legal to bet on sports online at the age of 18 in Illinois if you wager at licensed offshore online sportsbooks operating online. Illinois law does not apply to jurisdictions other than its own, and 18 and over online sportsbooks are not allowed to operate inside state lines at this present time.

Are sports betting sites safe for Illinois residents?

If you choose any of the sports betting sites that we’ve vetted and approved, then there is no doubt that both your personal and financial data is safe and secure. The Internet is a dangerous place and scammers lurk around every corner every single day, which is why we want to provide the sites where you can safely and legally bet on sports if your 18 and up in Illinois.

What changes to federal law have impacted Illinois sports betting?

Illinois lawmakers prepared for the eventual repeal of PASPA by drafting and discussing bills as early as January 2018. Now that the Supreme Court has overturned the federal law, sports betting states are free to legalize sports betting operators within their jurisdiction.

18+ State-Licensed Sportsbooks in Illinois

At this time, there are is only one state-licensed sportsbook located anywhere in the state of Illinois that allows residents and visitors to place wagers on sports, and it is limited to 21+ gamblers. Domestic sports betting is expected to expand, but it has been a slow crawl thus far.

Illinois College and Professional Sports Teams

Illinois is home to numerous college and pro teams that bettors from the state and around the country will immediately recognize at the online sportsbooks. Below you’ll find a complete list of all of the colleges with at least one team competing in NCAA Division I and all of the franchises with teams in a major professional sports league, which are all located in Chicago, Illinois.

Can You Bet Online In Illinois

NCAA Division I Teams:

• Bradley Bears: Missouri Valley (Peoria)
• Chicago State Cougars: WAC (Chicago)
• DePaul Blue Demons: Big East (Chicago)
• Eastern Illinois Panthers: Ohio Valley (Charleston)
• Illinois Fighting Illini: Big Ten (Urbana-Champaign)
• Illinois State Redbirds: Missouri Valley (Normal)
• Loyola Ramblers: Missouri Valley (Chicago)
• Northern Illinois Huskies: MAC (DeKalb)
• Northwestern Wildcats: Big Ten (Evanston)
• Southern Illinois Salukis: Missouri Valley (Carbondale)
• SIUE Cougars: Ohio Valley (Edwardsville)
• UIC Flames: Horizon (Chicago)
• Western Illinois Leathernecks: Summit (Macomb)

Major Professional Sports Teams:

*All the Illinois pro teams are located in Chicago

• Chicago Bears: NFL
• Chicago Blackhawks: NHL
• Chicago Bulls: NBA
• Chicago Cubs: MLB
• Chicago Fire: MLS
• Chicago Sky: WNBA
• Chicago White Sox: MLB

Legal Minimum Gambling Age in Illinois

Can I Bet Online In Illinois

The legal minimum gambling age requirement in Illinois is 21 years old to play at the slot machines, table games, sportsbooks, and in poker rooms at land-based riverboat casinos located throughout the state.

Other Forms of Legal 18+ Gambling in Illinois

If you are at least 18 years of age and are located anywhere in Illinois, then you can legally gamble on bingo, lottery, dog and horse racing, and in the form of pari-mutuel wagering.

Can I Bet Online In Illinois

Additionally, the online sportsbooks we recommend also allow Illinois players to play at their online casinos and poker rooms at age 18 but since the minimum age requirement of Illinois is 21 years old, we recommend following the law of your state, even though there has never been anyone charged with unlawfully gambling online at the age of 18.

Can You Gamble Online In Illinois

Additional Resources

Does Illinois Allow Online Gambling

If you or someone you know lives in Illinois and is currently having difficulty or is possibly suffering from problem gambling, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Illinois Council on Problem Gambling for immediate help.