Illinois Online Casino Updates: When Will Online Gambling Be Legal?

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Illinois Online Casinos: Online Gambling Overview 2024

Illinois Online Gambling: Latest News and Updates

Illinois online casinos for real money remain illegal as of December 2024.  You'll find 11 retail casinos in Illinois if you've decided to do your gambling in person. And while it may be some time before you can take your chances at a real money online casino, you can still play the Illinois lottery games online as well as video game slots. Of course, that's in addition to any sports betting you'd care to play.

• 📅 Nov. 2023: Illinois casino revenue is up slightly compared to last month, with total adjusted gross receipts of about 30.64 million.
• 📅 Oct. 2023: Rivers Casino leads the way in the most recent casino report bringing in over $43million. 
• 📅 May 2023: Legislation to enact online gambling in Illinois fails.
• 📅 Feb 2023: Illinois State Sen. Chrisina Castro sponsors a bill to legalize online casinos.
• 📅 2020: The first Illinois sportsbooks open.
• 📅 2019: Online Illinois sports betting apps are approved by lawmakers.

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Illinois Online Casino Laws

Legal online casinos for real money in Illinois do not currently exist. The Illinois Gaming Board regulates gambling operations in Illinois, including the nine commercial casinos, brick-and-mortar sportsbooks and online betting websites. There is hope that online casinos will soon be legal thanks to the 2019 Illinois Gambling Act – SB 690. The Illinois Gaming Board is considering regulations that would likely apply to Illinois online casinos in addition to adding up to six additional casinos throughout the state, including one in Chicago.

Are Sweepstakes Casinos Legal in Illinois?

Sweepstakes casino sites may feel the same as an online casino site, but there are key characteristics that make it different and legal in Illinois. Sweepstakes must be free to play (though buying options exist to improve chances), the final prizes must be handed out as advertised and the prizes must be awarded in the exact timeframe as was listed before the sweepstakes began. With Illinois sweepstakes casinos, users can obtain or purchase a different type of currency specific to the casino that can be used in those games. There are workarounds, but casinos can participate in legal online sweepstakes if they are careful about following all the rules.

Online Casino Games To Launch In Illinois

No matter the online casino you visit, there are hundreds of games available. In some instances, online casino games allow players to customize their experience in a way they couldn't at commercial casinos, especially given the wide range of stakes that can be played. Also, the expansion of legal online casino gaming has meant that many of the same options available at commercial casinos are now available online.

Online Slots

Slots offer the most variety and themes of any of the online casino games. They're typically among the most popular game thanks to their easy-to-understand rules, quick gameplay and variety of ways to win. There's also potential for jackpot payouts that most other casino games don't offer. The combinations and themes are endless, and all online casino sites will offer a wide variety to choose from. Make sure you've read and understood the rules of whichever you pick, but most are simple for even the most basic player.

Online Poker

Poker is one of the oldest and most popular online casino games. Gamblers can either play video poker, where their hands go up against the computer, or against other gamblers in a virtual setting (if online poker is legal in the state). There are dozens of different poker variations, though the most popular of the card games are Texas Hold'Em, Omaha, 7-Card Stud, 5-Card Stud and High-Low. Make sure you're aware of the type of poker game you're playing, as the rules change considerably among the different variations. The good news, however, is that the Illinois gambling sites will offer all different types of poker games at a wide range of stakes, so whatever you're looking for will be available in some form.

Online Blackjack

Some online games require more skill than others, and blackjack is near the top of that list. A popular casino game because of its quick action, players will need to study their cards as they attempt to beat the dealer to earn a payout. All major casino operators offer blackjack, and there are a handful of different variations offered based on the casino.

Online Roulette

It doesn't get much easier when it comes to online gambling than roulette. Among the most popular and oldest of all casino games, American roulette involves a spinning wheel with slots numbered 1-36, 0 and 00. A ball is spun in the opposite direction of the wheel, and gamblers choose with number or range of numbers (with varying odds) the ball will land on.

There aren't too many different variations that bettors will find at online casinos, though French roulette has better odds because there is no 00. Just make sure you're aware of the different types of bets you can make on the board and read a strategy guide, as the even-money bets are the best ones long-term.

Live Dealer

For bettors looking for the live interaction that commercial casinos offer, but do not want to travel to one, live dealer games offer a way forward. Bettors can interact with actual human dealers with real physical cards in a virtual setting. Not all states with legal online casino games have live casinos, and even in those that do there can be great variance between operators.

Given how the COVID-19 pandemic changed how Americans worked and gambled, live casinos should only become more prominent in the online casino community of Illinois. It's not offered everywhere and with all games, so you'll need to check with the online casinos you're considering.

Other Online Casino Games

There are dozens of other casino games to consider, including but not limited to keno, baccarat, scratch cards and craps. Online casino games will differ from spot to spot, and some casino sites will offer their own unique games. Before choosing an online casino, check out all the different casino games they provide.

Commercial Casinos in Illinois

There are ten different land-based casinos in Illinois scattered throughout the state. Though they all range in terms of size and popularity, they all offer the basics.

Rivers Casino Des Plaines

The most popular of the land-based casinos in Illinois, Rivers Casino in Des Plaines offers the largest variety of gaming, entertainment and dining of any in the state. It has also partnered with hotels in the city that provide transportation to and from the casino. It has plans to expand by 78,000 square feet in 2022.

Grand Victoria Casino Elgin

The Grand Victoria Casino in Elgin is a riverboat casino on the Fox River that features a full-scale casino, sports betting options through William Hill and four different restaurants onboard.

Hollywood Casino and Hotel Joliet

The Hollywood Casino and Hotel in Joliet offers a full-scale casino and sportsbook, four different dining options and hotel packages that allow for bettors to get everything they need all in one Illinois casino.

Harrah’s Metropolis Casino and Hotel

Harrah's Metropolis Casino and Hotel is part of Caesar's Entertainment, offering a full-scale casino and lodging options. The Illinois casino also offers restaurants to give bettors everything they need in one spot.

Hollywood Casino Aurora

The Hollywood Casino in Aurora is one of the most lively of the casinos in Illinois, featuring full-scale live casino gaming, a sportsbook in connection with ESPN BET, two restaurants, a VIP lounge and live music.

Argosy Casino Alton

Owned by Penn National Gaming, the Argosy Casino in Alton is a riverboat casino that offers a full-scale casino, a sportsbook in connection with ESPN BET, two dining options and is just 25 minutes from St. Louis.

Bally's Quad Cities

Bally's Quad Cities is in Rock Island, Illinois, and features a full-scale casino, four restaurants and bars, a nightclub and lodging options.

Par-A-Dice Casino and Hotel

The Par-A-Dice Casino and Hotel is in Peoria, Illinois, and features a full-scale casino, multiple dining options and a hotel with multiple packages and options for bettors.

Casino Queen

The Casino Queen Hotel is in East St. Louis, Illinois, and features a full-scale casino as well as lodging options.

Of the listed Illinois casinos, Rivers offers an online gambling website that features sports betting. Hollywood Casino and Argosy Casino offer online sports betting through the ESPN BET website and mobile application.

Harrah's Joliet

Harrah's Joliet features slots, video poker and table games, as well as a 200 room hotel and several dining options. As you may have guessed, it's in Joliet, Illinois, right on the Des Plains River, and claims to be the best casino in the Chicagoland area.

Chicago-Area Casinos

The Chicago Casino Project, headed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot, is an effort to bring a casino to the downtown area. Lightfoot's team reached out to several different casino operators, including two based in Las Vegas, to gauge interest in bringing a casino to the Windy City. There are currently no casinos in downtown Chicago, but that is about to change. 

In June of 2023, the Illinois Gaming Board made a preliminary determination to allow Bally's Corp. to run a $1.7 billion Chicago casino resort. The decision clears the way for Bally’s to operate a temporary casino once it secures a license.

In the meantime, casino goers can play at a few other casinos operating a reasonable distance from downtown. These include:

• 📍 Rivers Casino Des Plaines (35-minute drive and just minutes from O’Hare International Airport)
• 📍 Horseshoe Hammond Casino (25-minute drive)
• 📍 Ameristar Casino East Chicago (30-minute drive)

We have you covered for Chicago sportsbooks as well.

The History Of Gambling In Illinois

Illinois has a fond liking to all things betting, or wagering! The state was the first in the U.S. to institute a state lottery, first launching in 1975 that continues today. Illinois casinos opened for business in 1991 with the debut of the Argosy Casino in Alton under the Riverboat Gambling Act, which was passed in 1990. Illinois now boasts nine different legal casinos with table games, poker rooms, horse racing and more. In June 2019 ,legal sports betting in Illinois was signed into law, with the first in-person bet occurring on March 9, 2020. Online sports betting in Illinois launched in June 2020.

Responsible Gambling

The Illinois Gaming Board takes responsible gambling seriously. The board's website has a specific tab labeled "Help for Problem Gamblers" that offers resources available for those in need of help. It includes information on the Self-Exclusion Program and Problem Gambling Registry. The page also offers a FAQ page for problem gamblers and several different phone numbers for them to access and call.

Author

Mark Strotman

@markstrot

Mark Strotman is a veteran sports journalist who has covered the Chicago Bulls and the NBA for NBC Sports Chicago for about 8 years. His work has also appeared on ESPN.com, FoxSports.com, The Chicago Tribune, Yahoo Sports and NBC Sports. He covered the NBA Playoffs in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2017 as well as Team USA Basketball in 2014 and 2016. He has also covered high school football and was nominated for a Midwest Emmy in 2016 for his work on a documentary featuring local Chicago product and NFL prospect Miles Boykin.