Online casinos aren’t live in Illinois just yet — but that could change. While Illinois gamblers can already bet on sports, play the lottery, and enjoy video slots at bars and truck stops, online casino games are still off-limits.
That said, lawmakers are actively pushing to bring legal online casino sites to the state. Two bills are currently on the table, and it’s only a matter of time before Illinois joins the growing list of states with regulated online casinos.
In the meantime, this guide breaks down everything you can (and can’t) do in Illinois when it comes to online gambling — from the best sweepstakes casinos to expected real-money sites like BetMGM, Caesars, and DraftKings.
Illinois Legal Online Gambling
The history of legal gambling in the state of Illinois actually dates back to the days when gangster Al Capone ruled over Chicago in the 1920s. Back then, the only legal form of gambling that the people of Illinois could wager on was horse racing.
Today, that landscape is populated with many more opportunities for wagering. There are 10 options in the state for land-based casino gambling, which were originally legalized in 1990. Video slot machines are also legally operated in liquor establishments and truck stops throughout Illinois. The Illinois lottery began operating in 2012.
In 2019, the Illinois state government voted to legalize sports betting, both at retail brick and mortar sites and via online and mobile app options.
The only popular gambling option still unavailable in Illinois is online casino gambling.
Illinois’ Best Gambling Sites
You’ll find all of the major online sports betting sites in the USA are located in Illinois. The first sports betting sites launched in June of 2020. They must be partnered with a racetrack or land-based casino in order to be licensed. Along with retail sports betting, Illinois also offers online and mobile sports betting options.
These are some of the top sites operating in Illinois.
BetMGM Illinois: Offering a massive list of bet types and betting markets, one of the unique features of the BetMGM sports betting app is the ability to edit your bet. They offer a stellar welcome bonus of up to $1500 in bonus bets back if your first bet with BetMGM doesn’t cash as a winner.
BetRivers: Illinoios If you like to bet with home-grown talent, then BetRivers is the sportsbook for you. They are owned and operated by Rush Street Interactive, which is situated in Chicago. And they are partners with the NFL’s Chicago Bears. BetRivers is known in the industry for their quick payouts of withdrawals and their always minimal 1x playthrough wagering requirement on any bonus funds. They were the first to launch both retail (March 9, 2020) and online (June 19, 2020) sports betting sites in Illinois.
Caesars: One of the legends on the US gambling landscape, Caesars has proven capable of combining that traditional excellence with state of the art technology. They’ve earned a sterling reputation for their industry-leading rewards program. As well, you won’t find a sportsbook offering a greater list of betting markets than Caesars, and they offer more odds boosts than any site.
DraftKings: The ease of use of the DraftKings site is a great starting point. You’ll find plenty of selection in terms of betting markets and bet types. And it’s all explained in simple terminology, because DraftKings aims to gain favor with the recreational player. They offer an early cash out option on bets and deliver it all to you on a sleek, easy to navigate site.
Illinois Online Casinos
There are currently 10 brick and mortar casinos in Illinois, along with thousands of VLTs situated in bars and truck stops across the state. What there isn’t access to anywhere in Illinois is online casino gambling.
Since 2021, the state government has sought to carve out a path toward legalization of online casino gambling in the state of Illinois, but to date, all attempts have come up short of reaching that destination.
The Illinois State Senate sent a bill seeking legalization of online casino gambling and online poker to the Illinois House Gaming Committee. It never even generated any discussion prior to the conclusion of the state’s legislative session on May 24.
With more stability in the state budget in recent years, there’s no pressure on Illinois lawmakers to find new revenue streams such as the type of tax windfall that online casino gambling could create.
Illinois Sweepstakes Casinos
If you want to do some casino-style gambling in the comfort of your own home and you live in Illinois, then social casinos are your only solution at the moment.
While they offer the same type of slots, table games and even live dealer options of a traditional online casino, you can’t win real money or gamble with real money inside a social casino. You either play for fun with gold coins, or use sweepstakes coins to pursue prizes like gift cards.
There are a number of social casino options accessible in Illinois and what follows is a look at some of the most popular sites.
BetRivers.net: Operated by Illinois-based Rush Street Interactive, the same company that owns the Rivers casino and BetRivers sportsbook, they are the hometown option when it comes to social casinos. You can also engage in virtual sports betting on the BetRivers.net site.
Chumba Casino: Billing itself as America’s No. 1 social casino experience, Chumba Casino will start you off with 3 million gold coins, along with 30 free sweepstakes coins. You’ll find over 100 slots to play, including jackpot slots and table games such as blackjack, roulette and video poker. Chumba Casino also offers bingo, slingo and solitaire.
McLuck Casino: Top game providers such as NetEnt, Pragmatic Play and Playson deliver the more than 400 games to play inside the McLuck Casino. You’ll only find slots to play on their site, but they include Megaways and cascading reels games. New players can earn up to 107,500 gold coins along with 35 free sweeps coins when joining the McLuck Casino.
- BetRivers IL Sportsbook: Up to $500 Do-Over Bet Bonus. Code: USBTRV
- Active Promo Code for New Customers
- Legal U.S. Online Sportsbook App
- Live Odds and Betting Options
- Second Chance Bonus Bet
USBTRVJoin BetRivers sportsbook with our affiliate bonus code USBTRV in 2025 and claim your welcome bonus bets. Terms apply. | Read BetRivers Sportsbook review - Rush Games: Receive 500 free virtual credits (VC$)
- Free Slots, Bingo, Live Casino Games & More
- TOP Social Online Casinos in the USA
- Virtual Credits Bonuses & Rewards
Betrivers.net & Rush Games are free social casinos with top slots, free live dealer games, betting and welcome bonuses. | Read Betrivers.net & Rush Games review
Illinois Online Sites 2025
Use these gambling sites to bet online in Illinois. However, no online casinos are available in 2025 yet.
It’s not difficult to decipher which online casinos are likely to populate the Illinois online gambling landscape when the state finally does opt to include legal and regulated online casino gambling as part of their gambling menu.
There are a few online sites that already have a land-based casino presence in Illinois. And each of the current online sports betting sites operating in the legal and regulated field in the state also offer online casino gambling.
Caesars Illinois
With two land-based casinos and an online sportsbook already operating in the state, you know that America’s No. 1 casino entertainment company will be bringing the Caesars brand of online casino to the state with the opportunity arises. You’ll find several hundred slots, table games like blackjack and roulette, virtual sports, a live dealer studio and the world-famous Caesars Rewards program. Caesars online casino is not yet live in Illinois.
BetMGM Illinois
Known for their vast array of exclusive games, featuring progressive jackpot slots that can offer prize winnings in the millions of dollars, BetMGM is a true king of online casino gambling. With hundreds of slots, a massive library of table games, an extensive live dealer area and an outstanding loyalty program, BetMGM CASINO has it all, but the online gambling site/app is not available in Illinois yet.
DraftKings Illinois
Variety is the spice of life inside the DraftKings online casino (not available in Illinois for real money games yet). With some 800+ games, including more than 700 slots, you’ll play a long time without the need to play the same game twice. There’s also in excess of 50 table games, and a well-stocked live dealer studio. As well, a stalwart lineup of exclusive games includes progressive jackpots and their unique DraftKings Rocket game.
FanDuel Illinois
FanDuel developed and launched their own standalone casino online in 2021.You won’t find as many games available as there are at DraftKings or BetMGM, but all of the most popular slots from the elite game developers are stocked inside the FanDuel library. Blackjack, roulette, baccarat and video poker populate the FanDuel table games menu. In their live dealer area, play blackjack, roulette, baccarat, including some FanDuel exclusive games.
BetRivers Illinois
The first online casino to go live in Illinois, expect BetRivers to be at the front of the line when online casino gambling is legalized in the state. The easy to use BetRivers drop down menu divides their casino games up into several categories, making it easy to find the games you want. They even catalog games via developer. Whether it’s slots, table games or live dealer games that you seek, BetRivers delivers the goods. And their iRush Rewards is an excellent loyalty program. The Betrivers Illinois online casino app is not yet live.
Barstool Casino Illinois
Penn National Gaming, Barstool’s parent company, already has a land-based casino in Illinois, so pairing it with the Barstool online casino will be a natural when the time comes. A massive slot library is highlighted by some very potent jackpot slots. Whether it’s blackjack, baccarat, roulette or video poker, Barstool will fill you table game needs. Their live dealer studio also is well stocked. And you’re welcomed into the My Choice rewards program at Barstool.
Illinois Online Casino Offers
- Caesars casino – up to $2000 first deposit bonus
- betMGM casino Illinois – no offers available yet, get free bet, use code USDOTBET
- Draftkings Illinois – expected up to $2000 + 25 free play credits, codes not required
Caesars offers an impressive signup bonus of a 100% matching first deposit worth up to $2000. DraftKings also brings a 100% match at a maximum of $2000, along with $25 in casino bonus bets just for signing up.
Expected Available Games At Illinois Online Casinos
Anticipate that you’ll be able to play both classic fruit-themed slots along with new age video slots with HD graphics. Of course, plenty of jackpot and progressive jackpots will dangle the elusive dream of independent wealth. Table games will be anchored by blackjack and roulette, with baccarat, craps and video poker in the mix. Variety games, virtual sports and live dealer areas featuring table games, poker and game-show themes are also to be expected upon arrival of legal and regulated online casino gambling.
Here is a list of the best slot sites in the USA.
Illinois Online Slots – Where to Play
The massive volume of slots available at BetMGM make it a must stop for slot players. The progressive jackpots are massive and there’s several slots that are exclusive to BetMGM
Best Illinois Online Casino Blackjack
At DraftKings, the number of exclusive blackjack games amplifies what is already an impressive table game display. Building on their online sportsbook and daily fantasy sports background, DraftKings offers hockey, football, baseball, basketball and soccer-themed blackjack tables.
Online Roulette
Whether you just want to play roulette, or you’d like to ramp up the roulette experience by entering their live dealer studio in Illinois, Caesars is equally responsive to the desires of those who play the ball and wheel game. Have a go at double bonus spin roulette, Space Invaders roulette, or 100-1 roulette. Take a virtual walk into their live dealer area for live auto roulette.
Live Dealer Games
When it comes to live dealer play, BetRivers is truly the real deal. With in excess of 30 games to try out inside the Bet Rivers Illinois live dealer casino, they cover every style of game you might consider. They deliver multiple versions of blackjack, baccarat and roulette. There’s also craps and card games like Casino hold’em and three card poker. Like dice games? There’s sic bo and bac bo. You’ll also find game show themes including Monopoly and Deal or No Deal.
Illinois Casino Apps (Expected)
- BetRivers app
- betMGM casino app IL
- Borgata Illinois casino app
- Fanduel app
- DraftKings app
- Unibet IL casino app
Eye-catching in appearance, sleek in design and with an intuitive response to game play, the BetMGM covers all the bases. And you’ll find it’s equally impressive whether you’re an iOS or Android user.
View top US casino apps and bonuses.
How To Find The Best Illinois Online Gambling Sites
To begin with, you’ll want to be certain that the Illinois online casino you choose to do your gambling with offers the games that you want to play. For instance, if you’re a blackjack player, how many varieties of blackjack do they offer? All online casinos will offer you a lucrative welcome bonus, but try to find a casino that continues to provide promotion perks to their regular players long after they’ve signed up at the site. Does the online casino offer a number of deposit and withdrawal methods and are the payments processed promptly? Is their customer service helpful and available when you need it? Finally, what is their reputation for safety and security? You’ll have to know that your money and information are protected.
Illinois Online Betting Sites ↗
A leader in the field of US gambling, both online and offline sports betting is widely available in Illinois. The scheme’s need for in-person registration has now ended, with bettors able to register online for their app of choice.
Here is the list of legal betting sites in Illinois:
Illinois Online Poker ↗
There are no online legal poker sites available in Illinois but many of the land-based casinos and riverboat casinos offer extensive poker play and a number have poker rooms.
Lottery in Illinois ↗
The state lottery was the first in the US to offer online sales back in 2012, with tickets for a variety of different lottery games available to anyone aged 18 or over.
Illinois Online Gambling FAQ
Although online sports betting is legal in Illinois, online casino gambling is not. However, a pair of bills before the state legislature are seeking to rectify that situation and legalize online casino gambling.
To gamble legally inside an Illinois casino you must be 21 years of age.
Based on the state’s sports betting laws, the answer would be no. You don’t need to be from Illinois to bet online on sports in the state. However, you must be physically present within state lines in order to do so. This is confirmed by the use of geolocation software capable of detecting the location of your IP address.
The closure of Arlington Park last year has left Illinois with just two race tracks with live action, but betting on horse racing can be done online as well as on-site.
While gambling can be enjoyable for many, for some it can be real problem affecting their lives every day. If you, or a friend or relative, is struggling to cope with their gambling, help is available. Illinois – National Council on Problem Gambling (ncpgambling.org). Both Illinois and out-of-state residents can enroll in the problem gambling registry. Contact the IGB at 1-877-YOU-QUIT (1-877-968-7848) for Illinois residents or (312) 814-8832 for Non-Illinois residents.
The Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) ensures the integrity of and regulates gaming within the State of Illinois.
