Online Gambling Illinois 2024

Table of Contents

Who is this article suitable for? – Illinois internet gambling enthusiasts
The legal history of sports betting in Illinois – online sports betting is 100% legal
Editor’s recommendation – the best sports betting operator for users in Illinois – DraftKings is the King!
Five tips for a secure and fair gambling experience in Illinois – get the most out of your online gambling experience
What do we look for when evaluating operators for Illinois residents? – our bulletproof criteria
Our pick of IL online casinos for October 2024
Find the right operator for you – this is how it’s done!
Conclusion – The best gambling Illinois has to offer
Top IL casino bonuses
Online gambling Illinois FAQ

Who is this article suitable for? – Illinois internet gambling enthusiasts

We’ve decided to put together this article for the residents of Illinois who are interested in Internet gambling. We have the most up-to-date information and resources pertaining to all legal forms of online gambling in Illinois. So whether you are interested in sweepstakes casinos (as IL online real money casino sites are illegal) or online sports betting platforms, we’ll give you valuable tips and advice to make the most of your online gambling experience.

The legal history of sports betting in Illinois – online sports betting is 100% legal

As of June 2020, online sports betting is legal in the state of Illinois. The first app to launch in Illinois is from the BetRivers sportsbook. Thereafter, many IL online gambling apps have joined the party, including FanDuel, William Hill, and DraftKings. The TVG racing site also allows residents and visitors to the state the opportunity to bet on horse races, while online horse race bets are available through a variety of sites. Those visiting the state of Illinois should give Daily Fantasy Sports a try, as it is legal and available for them to take advantage of.

Editor’s recommendation – the best sports betting operator for users in Illinois – DraftKings is the King!

Since online sports betting is legal in Illinois, DraftKings has made its move with credible sports betting app. Both the DraftKings desktop site and mobile app are created with the customer in mind. The operator offers various betting markets and betting options available,, including pre-game, futures, and live bets.

DraftKings is the go-to sportsbook for eager sports bettors out there. Upon signing up for an account, you’ll receive a welcome bonus as well as a deposit match bonus of up to $1000. Ultimately, these bonus offers will give you an opportunity to try out the online sportsbook with little to no risk. The accepted payment methods that DraftKings offers include Skill, Visa, MasterCard, and PayPal.

Many punters enjoy placing bets on the go, and this is something that DraftKings understands and why they’ve decided to develop a mobile app for betting on the go. The mobile app allows you to place various types of bets, all from the comfort of your smartphone. The user experience is smooth and enjoyable. So provided you have an iOS or Android device, you’ll be able to download and install the DraftKings mobile app.

Five tips for a secure and fair gambling experience in Illinois – get the most out of your online gambling experience

Whether you’re planning on sports betting in IL or joining an online casino when it becomes available, there are a few points you’ll need to bear in mind to enhance your overall online gambling experience. The following tips will ensure that you get the most out of your online gambling journey when taking advantage of our Illinois online casino list.

Safety and security

The first point to note is that every online gambling establishment needs to be fully licensed and regulated in the relevant jurisdiction. Furthermore, the license needs to be handed out by an independent gambling commission, and the site should undergo regular audits for game fairness and ensure that they remain above board. The risk of signing up with an unlicensed operator is that if you experience issues down the line, you have no recourse as there is no gambling commission for you to lay a complaint with. Always check for the casino license before signing up and creating an account. SSL encryption is one of the security features we keep an eye out for, as this is what prevents third parties from hacking into your account or gaining access to your personal and financial data.

Customer service

Our recommended IL online gambling sites have a competent and reliable customer service department. This means that whether you have a general question or query or a more pertinent issue that needs to be resolved, you can simply reach out to a real person on the other hand to assist you. Knowing that you have help when you need it makes gambling in Illinois a pleasurable and memorable experience. We only recommend operators who have a reliable and responsive customer service department.

Withdrawal speed

One of the most frustrating issues or situations is having to wait for your winnings to be paid out without a reasonable turnaround time. This experience is devastating by anyone’s standards, and to avoid this, we vet every recommended operator before placing them on our recommended list. Our operators are testing for the speed of withdrawals and processing times as well.

User reviews

One of the best ways to gauge the reputation of an online operator is to read existing user reviews. This will give you an indication of how previous and current players are being treated on the site. We understand that negative ratings are sometimes unavoidable, but we always ensure that the operators recommended by us have more positive reviews than negative ones.

Payment methods

Our recommended operators offer a variety of banking options to suit every player’s preference. This makes the withdrawal and deposit process all the more convenient and seamless. So the sites recommended by our experts in LasVegas-how-to have anywhere between a handful of payment options to well over a dozen.

What do we look for when evaluating operators for Illinois residents? – our bulletproof criteria

When it comes to vetting and rating any online gambling establishment, we use key criteria. Only the operators that have ticked all the boxes make it onto our list of IL online gambling sites. Let’s take a closer look at how we vet online casinos and sportsbooks.

Licensing and regulation

In all our years of compiling operator reviews, it seems that we mentioned licensing and regulation quite often. This is because we cannot stress the importance of signing up with a licensed operator.

Irrespective of whether you are based halfway around the world or are indulging in online gambling in IL, the site you are wagering your hard-earned cash on should be fully licensed and regulated. In most cases, the online operator’s license is found on the footer of the web pages. If it’s not available there, you can always reach out to customer service and ask them to provide you with this information.

User reviews

As we mentioned earlier, reading through existing user reviews is a great way to tell if you’re going to experience issues with an operator. In the same breath, we understand that negative reviews are sometimes inevitable, and each case should be presented on its own merits.

However, when weighing the negative reviews as opposed to the positive ones, we believe that the positive ones should always outweigh the negative ones.

Banking options

Every player would prefer to have more options when it comes to payments. This is because every individual has a preferred payment method that they feel is more convenient than others.

Ultimately, if players are allowed to choose their preferred payment method, it makes the entire deposit and payout process more convenient and hassle-free overall. We believe in only recommending Illinois online gambling sites with a number of payment methods.

Payout speed

One surefire way to keep players coming back to your site is to ensure that they are paid out speedily. If players are paid out sooner rather than later, they will keep coming back to the site to invest their money.

Alternatively, the frustration that tends to build up when players wait for days or even weeks on end to receive winnings ultimately leads to disappointment and discouragement, and when winnings are eventually paid out, it’s highly unlikely that the player will remain a member of the site.

Site usability

We believe that the best IL online gambling sites invest a lot of money in making sure that their website site is efficient and user-friendly. So before recommending any online gambling casino in Illinois, we test the functionality of the site to ensure an overall good user experience.

However, if the pages are cluttered, and it takes you more time to figure out how to place your bets instead of you betting, then those are the casinos that never make it onto our list.

Additionally, online casinos and sportsbooks that develop mobile apps for people who enjoy betting on the go are rated high on our list of recommended casinos. We also test mobile apps to ensure that they are user-friendly and contain most of the features of the desktop site.

Our pick of IL online casinos for October 2024

95/100

Rating

$55 Stake Cash + 260K Gold Coins + 5% Rakeback

Stake.us Social Casino Bonus

$55 Stake Cash + 260K Gold Coins + 5% Rakeback

Stake.us Review

***** Visit Site

T&Cs apply, 18+

Highlights

Exclusive bonus code: CTCSOCIAL
Daily bonus gives you Stake Cash!
Social casino sponsored by Drake!

94/100

Rating

35 SC FREE and 1.75M WOW Coins

Wow Vegas Social Casino Bonus

35 SC FREE and 1.75M WOW Coins

Wow Vegas Review

***** Visit Site

T&Cs apply, 18+

Highlights

Over 800 casino-style slots
Generous welcome offer
Many popular online slot titles

93/100

Rating

Get Up To 200 GC + 40 SC + 100 Diamonds!

High5Casino Social Casino Bonus

Get Up To 200 GC + 40 SC + 100 Diamonds!

High5Casino Review

***** Visit Site

T&Cs apply, 18+

Highlights

1200+ Games, Slots & Live Dealer Games!
FREE Daily Rewards
Authentic brand, made in the USA
To Claim: Click Play Now

92/100

Rating

1000 Gems + 50% Extra gems On Your First Shards Purchase

Vegas Gems Social Casino Bonus

1000 Gems + 50% Extra gems On Your First Shards Purchase

Vegas Gems Review

***** Visit Site

T&Cs apply, 18+

Highlights

Win up to 1,000 free Gems + Get 50% extra Gems on first purchase
Provably fair games and slots from Pragmatic Play
Free play with Shards and cash prize redemption with Gems

89/100

Rating

33 SC FREE and 67,777 Lucky Coins

Sweeptastic Social Casino Bonus

33 SC FREE and 67,777 Lucky Coins

Sweeptastic Review

***** Visit Site

T&Cs apply, 18+

Highlights

Over 1,000+ casino-style games
Generous welcome offer
Accepts BTC, ETH & more

Find the right operator for you – this is how it’s done!

When it comes to finding the best online gambling Illinois has to offer, there are a few things you need to consider. Ultimately, the type of gambling experience you expect to have should narrow down the list of operators. So before you begin your search, start asking yourself a couple of questions. For example, if you prefer gambling at night, we recommend signing up with an operator with 24-hour customer service.

If you prefer betting on your favorite sports as opposed to playing Illinois online slots or table games, then you need to sign up with an established sportsbook instead of an online casino in Illinois. For those who enjoy taking advantage of IL online casino bonus offers and promotions, there are plenty of online operators that provide welcome bonuses for new players and ongoing promotions to their loyal players.

Additionally, lots of them have VIP clubs and loyalty programs to make your overall online gambling experience more rewarding. If you enjoy live streaming on the go, make sure that the online operator has a mobile app that’s capable of this feature to take full advantage of all that the site has to offer. Ultimately, whenever you’re unsure how to approach your search for IL online gambling sites, feel free to check back with us at LasVegas-how-to for our expert tips and advice on how to find the best online gaming sites.

Conclusion – The best gambling Illinois has to offer

While gambling options may be limited, for the time being, we are hopeful that full-fledged online casinos in Illinois will soon be launched and operated within the state. In the meantime, online betting enthusiasts can feel for you to take advantage of the legal sportsbooks in the state, and for those who want classic casino games, sweepstakes casinos are readily available for residents of Illinois.

Ultimately, irrespective of whether you enjoy betting on sports or playing online casino games, always bear our tips and advice in mind to have the best overall online gambling experience. Always check to see if the site is licensed and make use of security features to protect your private information and ensure that they have a speedy and responsive customer service department.

By doing this, you’ll ensure that you have a hassle-free and pleasant experience with any IL online gambling site that you sign up with.

Top IL casino bonuses

$55 Stake Cash + 260K Gold Coins + 5% Rakeback

Promo Code

******

Stake.us Promo Code

***** Get Bonus

T&Cs apply, 18+

Bonus Details

Type:

Welcome Bonus

Cashable:

yes

Requirements (WR):

3x Deposit

35 SC FREE and 1.75M WOW Coins

Promo Code

******

Wow Vegas Promo Code

***** Get Bonus

T&Cs apply, 18+

Bonus Details

Type:

Welcome Bonus

Cashable:

yes

Requirements (WR):

1x Bonus

Get Up To 200 GC + 40 SC + 100 Diamonds!

Promo Code

******

High5Casino Promo Code

***** Get Bonus

T&Cs apply, 18+

Bonus Details

Type:

Welcome Bonus

Cashable:

yes

Requirements (WR):

1x Bonus

1000 Gems + 50% Extra gems On Your First Shards Purchase

Promo Code

******

Vegas Gems Promo Code

***** Get Bonus

T&Cs apply, 18+

Bonus Details

Type:

Deposit Bonus

Cashable:

yes

Requirements (WR):

–

33 SC FREE and 67,777 Lucky Coins

Promo Code

******

Sweeptastic Promo Code

***** Get Bonus

T&Cs apply, 18+

Bonus Details

Type:

Welcome Bonus

Cashable:

yes

Requirements (WR):

–

Online gambling Illinois FAQ

🕵️ Is online gambling legal in IL?

If you’ve just asked, is online gambling legal in Illinois? Then you’re not alone. Some forms of online gambling are legal, while others are not. This is why you should do your due diligence and make sure that the sports or online games you enjoy betting on are completely legal before signing up with any online operator. For more clarity on the legality of online gambling in Illinois, feel free to read through our existing reviews.

🔒 Is online gambling in Illinois safe?

Irrespective of whether you’re gambling offshore or within the borders of Illinois, you’ll need to ensure that online gambling sites are safe and secure. This means checking for relevant licensing and security features before entering any personal or financial information. Additionally, you should ensure that they have a reliable and reachable customer service department. When in doubt, we’ve put together some valuable resources to help you explain the legitimacy of online casinos.

🍾 How old do I need to be for online gambling in Illinois?

To legally gamble online in Illinois, you’ll need to be of legal gambling age. The legal gambling age varies from state to state, and the onus is on every player to do their homework and find out how old they need to be before placing wagers on any online sites in the state. However, if you need more information on the legal gambling age in Illinois, how to sign up at online casinos in the state, and how to start placing your wagers, feel free to peruse our many helpful resources and guides.

💰 What payment methods can I use when gambling in Illinois?

The payment methods you use when gambling in Illinois will be the ones that are offered by the online operator. You may have a preferred payment method in mind, and it may just be that the online operator doesn’t cater to this. In that case, the online operator should offer a variety of payment options so you can choose the best alternative. When in doubt about which payment methods to use for online gambling, feel free to check out our payment methods guide here.

💸 Are the online gambling Illinois offers worth it?

The options for online gambling in Illinois are quite limited at the moment. However, that doesn’t mean that you cannot participate in any type of online game in the state. Sportsbooks are 100% legal, and so are sweepstakes casinos. So why you’re keeping an eye out for changes in the online gambling industry, feel free to practice at your favorite social casinos. For more information on how to take advantage of sweepstakes casinos, head over to our in-depth reviews.