Betting in Illinois

Both physical sportsbooks and online sports betting in Illinois are now legal for state residents. The very first legal bet was made at Rivers Casino Des Plaines on March 9th, 2020. Accounts can now be created from anywhere inside Illinois and several online sports betting sites are available within the state.

Earlier this year Governor Pritzker made an emergency declaration that the 18-month in-person requirement that is normally required for registering for a sportsbook had been lifted. Then in July, this requirement was reinstated. This meant that, once again, patrons had to go to a casino to register for a mobile betting app. This changed again in August which meant that users instead had to register online again.

Even before recent events, the laws around sports betting in Illinois have changed several times over the previous few years. Some of these essential law changes include the following:

2018

Lawmakers began to express interest in regulating legal sports betting in Illinois. Five bills were introduced including one from former NFL linebacker Napolean Harris. This included an integrity fee as well as other concessions for professional sports leagues lobbyists.

2019

Governor Pritzker announced that he was creating legislation to legalize sports betting and included revenue from it in his budget proposal. Five proposed amendments were initially introduced with the number passing coming down to two by May. The final bill which underwent several changes eventually made sports betting legal within the state.

2020

The first legal sports best was made at Rivers Casino Des Plaines on March 9. Later on, BetRivers were the first to create an online app on June 18.

  1. Locations available for betting on sports in Illinois right now, users can register for sports betting accounts from anywhere within the state. Individuals will most likely need to visit a physical casino to register once the COVID-19 pandemic isn’t any longer an issue, however. Right now, betting online is also done from anywhere within the state. The in-person registration requirement has been waived for as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
  2. The legality of sports betting in Illinois. Sports betting is now legal in Illinois. The first wager on a sports bet was made legal in the state in March 2020. There are now several casinos offering sports betting.
  3. Age limit for sports betting in Illinois. To place a wager any person who is a minimum of 21 years old can bet legally on sports within the state of Illinois.
  4. Regulation of sports gaming in Illinois. All regulation for sports betting in Illinois falls under the jurisdiction of The Illinois Gaming Board.