The Midwest states are known for many things, and their love of gambling is definitely one of them. The state of Illinois is one full of rabid sports fans, and Chicago itself is one of the best sports cities in the world. The appetite for gambling of all types is rich in Illinois, and the move into online betting is one that residents have been waiting for a long time.
This guide to online betting in Illinois will look at the industry from all angles – the opportunities that are coming in regulated online betting, along with why other areas of the business are moving much more slowly. The site looks at the different ways that online sites try to attract players, and it also gives readers the tools they need to be the savviest when trying to win money betting online.
All told, (site name) is the most complete resource on online gambling in Illinois. Make sure to make this site one of your favorites, so you don’t miss any of the latest information and news.
Online/Mobile Sports Betting
While the talk in Illinois for years had been about adding online casino and poker sites to the gambling landscape in the state, the repeal of PASPA in May 2018 shot sports betting right into the foreground. With a sports landscape as vast as the one found in Illinois both from a professional and a college perspective, it is not surprising that sports betting legislation was passed into law in 2019.
The sports betting laws in Illinois include online sports betting, which is great news for those who don’t necessarily want to travel to a retail sportsbook to make wagers. One interesting piece of the legislation is that for the first time in any of the states that have passed bills, sporting arenas are going to be given licenses in Illinois.
The potential for sports betting in Illinois has been proven on many fronts, from the amount of money spent at offshore sports betting sites or in the black market in cities like Chicago. However, the best example of how popular the activity could be is the amount of money being earned by sportsbooks on the border of Illinois in Indiana. These sportsbooks are close to Chicago, and the numbers of players driving across the state line to make their wagers is staggering.
There is a lot of information to digest about online sports betting in Illinois, and this section of our site not only reviews what companies will be licensed and launch in 2020, but will also cover the ABCs of sports betting for the uninitiated.
Online Casinos
As mentioned earlier, before all the excitement around sports betting, Illinois had held several hearings to discuss the benefits and challenges that would come from introducing legal online casinos. Casino betting has been growing in the state, and with online gambling becoming such a force in the market, making it legal and taxing it seemed like an excellent idea.
To date, there are no licensed online casinos in Illinois, but with the introduction of online sports betting, it is only a matter of time before we see digital slots and table games added to the mix. Our Online Casino section gets you ready for regulation by teaching you everything you need to know about the games you can play online as well as how to determine the best site for your style of play. It’s never too early to start learning, so we also included some tips on how to play some of the game you may not have tried before.
Online Poker
While poker has become one of the most-played games around the United States, with most of its popularity stemming from the growth of online poker in the early 2000s, there hasn’t been much movement on the regulation front since sites were shut down in 2011. There are now only 5 states that have passed online poker laws, and there is no indication that it is coming to Illinois anytime soon.
Our Online Poker section covers the game in general – why No-Limit Hold’em is still played far more than any other game, what the best places are to learn about poker online, and how to play your way to the World Series of Poker and other land-based events. No matter your skill level, you are bound to learn something about the game from this section.
Online Horse Racing
Racetracks have been a staple in Illinois for decades, and along with the races comes a lot of betting. While horse racing wagering has been legal at the track for quite some time, betting online on horses has been allowed for the last decade or so. As part of the Interstate Horseracing Act, operators did not have to wait for the changes to online gambling law to allow bettors to place wagers on their favorite horses from websites or mobile devices. Pari-mutuel wagers have always been exempt from gambling law except where prohibited, so there are several great betting options available to players across the state.
Our Horse Racing section reviews each of the apps that you can use to bet on the horses running at local tracks and from across the country, and our experts help you wade through all the betting options that many novice bettors can find somewhat overwhelming.
Online Betting Guides
It is very possible that you haven’t played all the games that you will soon be able to play online legally in Illinois. Many times, players don’t like to learn games at a land-based gaming table to avoid embarrassment as also to limit losses due to poor play. Our Online Betting Guides will walk you through all the top games, giving you an overview of the odds and the gameplay along with some simple tips you can use to make the overall experience much more entertaining. Whether you are a newbie or just haven’t played in a while, these guides are worth a look.
Online Gambling Bonuses
When online sportsbooks launch in 2020 in Illinois, there will be an onslaught of offers to try to get players to make deposits and place wagers. Each of these offers comes with a different set of Terms and Conditions, and if not managed properly, they can be worthless. We have you covered with a section designed to break down each of these bonus types – why they are valuable, what type of player they best suit, and how to get the most out of multiple offers. We are here to help you be a winning player, and taking advantage of online bonuses is a big piece of that puzzle.
Online Gaming FAQ:
Why didn’t the state pass casino and poker laws with sports betting?
The simple answer is that it was far easier to get the sports betting bill through the voting process. Not only was it on the agenda of the new Governor J.K. Pritzker, but it was the least divisive of the gambling verticals. With the repeal of PASPA, many states had already passed sports betting legislation in 2018, so it was only natural that states like Illinois follow suit.
Will the state now make these other games legal?
It isn’t that simple. There was much debate on the topic before PASPA’s repeal, so first, the online sports betting sites need to go live, then perhaps there will be a discussion on the topic of casino and poker sites. The good news is that it is most likely that the current law would simply have to be amended to add these products rather than having a new bill go through the whole procedure from scratch.
Who is in charge of overseeing the online gambling industry in Illinois?
The Illinois Gaming Board is in charge with writing the regulations, approving possible licensees, and overseeing the entire industry as it unfolds. This means that you have a local government agency that you can contact if you are having trouble with one of the operators. This type of oversight should give all gamblers in Illinois a higher level of confidence that the betting experience is going to be above board and completely transparent.
Are offshore gambling sites legal to play in Illinois?
There is nothing legally stopping you from playing at an unregulated online gaming site. However, playing at these sites, which are typically based somewhere in Central America, comes with added risk on top of the gambling risk itself. Software providers and operators in this grey market do not have to answer to anyone, so there is way to determine the integrity of the games being offered. Add in the fact that moving money back and forth from these sites is challenging at best, and it all adds up to a bad decision. It won’t be much longer for online casino and poker sites to become legal, and with sports betting now legal, we think it is much better for you to avoid these offshore offerings.