state · United States
Online gambling and sports betting in Illinois
Illinois allows regulated online and retail sports betting under the Sports Wagering Act, overseen by the Illinois Gaming Board. Real‑money online casino games remain illegal; multiple licensed mobile sportsbooks operate statewide.
- Online sports betting
- Legal
- Online casino
- Not legal
- Retail sports betting
- Legal
- Online live since
- 2020/06
Checked 2026-09-21. Not legal advice.
- Online betting and casino legal 7
- Online sports betting only 27
- No legal online gambling 17
Boundaries: US Census Bureau (public domain), via geoBoundaries
Casino, sports betting, poker and more
Illinois allows licensed land-based casinos and legal sports betting, but has no authorized real-money online casino or online poker market. Poker is therefore treated separately online (prohibited/unregulated) even though live poker at casinos is allowed; sports betting is legal under its own licensing framework.
| Product | Status | What that means |
|---|---|---|
| Online sports betting | Legal | — |
| Online casino | Not legal | — |
| Online poker | Prohibited | Real-money online poker is not licensed or authorized in Illinois; Illinois law permits only licensed gambling, and online poker is not regulated. |
| Sweepstakes and social casinos | Restricted | In Feb 2026 the Illinois Gaming Board and Attorney General issued ~65 cease‑and‑desist letters against Chumba, Stake.us, etc., under Illinois Criminal Code 720 ILCS 5/28‑1(a)(12) (existing law, no new bill). |
| Prediction markets | Restricted | Illinois Gaming Board cease-and-desist letters to Kalshi and Crypto.com (Apr. 1, 2025); Illinois sued to block prediction-market regulation (Apr. 2, 2026), and Robinhood/Polymarket were also named in later enforcement coverage. |
| Mystery boxes | Unregulated | Set nationally. Unregulated federally; FTC 2025 settlement required loot-box disclosures, but no U.S. law/regulator has classified paid mystery boxes or loot boxes as gambling. |
Key facts
- Online sports betting legal statewide since 2020
- Retail sportsbooks legal and operating since March 2020
- No regulated real‑money online casino/iGaming framework
- Regulator is Illinois Gaming Board (IGB)
- Market hosts about 9–10 licensed mobile sportsbooks
Regulator and law
Illinois Gaming Board
Illinois Sports Wagering Act of 2019 (230 ILCS 45/)
Advertising unlicensed gambling in Illinois
Not confirmed. unconfirmed.
Sports Wagering Act regulates licensees’ marketing; promotion of unlicensed/offshore sportsbooks is generally treated as unlawful gambling facilitation, but exact section not clearly sourced.
National rules also apply — see online gambling regulation in United States.
Checking a licence
The regulator publishes a list of licensed or authorised operators.
Recent developments
- Around ten mobile sportsbooks active as of mid‑/late‑2026
- In‑person registration requirement removed March 2022
- Illinois among largest US regulated sports betting markets
What we could not confirm
- Exact statutory section for advertising/offshore prohibition not clearly identified
- Precise public URL for IGB’s current licensee list not confirmed
- Whether Illinois authorities have issued specific guidance or enforcement actions on sweepstakes casinos in 2026.
- Whether any Illinois-specific statute or case law directly addresses paid loot boxes/mystery boxes as gambling.
- Whether any Illinois-specific prediction-market enforcement or exemption applies beyond general CFTC oversight.
Sources
- wagerlayer.com/state-guides/illinois/
- casino.band/states/illinois
- betdecoded.com/sports-betting-by-state/illinois/
- foley.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Online-Sports-Betting-Tracker-26-6800.pdf
- muddyrivernews.com/gambling/is-online-gambling-legal-in-illinois/20260731080246/
- legalsportsreport.com/sports-betting/states/illinois/
- rotowire.com/betting/illinois
- actionnetwork.com/online-sports-betting
- pokerlistings.com/us-poker-rooms/illinois-online-poker
- legaluspokersites.com/state-laws/illinois/
- pokerfuse.com/online-poker/illinois/
- allowedhere.com/legality/online-casinos/illinois/
- pokernews.com/us-poker/il/
- beatthefish.com/states/illinois/
- theplaybookusa.com/states/illinois/laws/
- thegamingboardroom.com/2026/02/06/illinois-goes-after-sweepstakes-65-cease-and-desist-letters-issued-2/
- deadspin.com/legal-betting/illinois-gaming-board-sends-60-plus-cease-and-desist-letters-to-illegal-sweepstakes-casino-operators/
- sweepskings.com/news/illinois-gaming-regulator-targets-65-sweepstakes-casinos/
- thegamingboardroom.com/2026/02/06/illinois-gaming-board-issues-65-new-gaming-cease-and-desists/
- illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/illinois/iisnewsattachments/32173-020526-igb-r-cease-and-desist-online-casinos-final-25025.pdf.pdf
- igb.illinois.gov/sports-wagering/cease-and-desist-letters.html
- cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/US-v-State-of-Illinois-Complaint-4-2-26.pdf
- courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/kalshi-lawsuit-illinois.pdf
- nextpredict.io/legal/illinois/
- abc7chicago.com/post/president-donald-trump-administration-sues-illinois-states-attempts-regulate-prediction-markets-like-kalshi-polymarket/18848650/
Researched 2026-09-21 from public sources and summarised by the Brandfense team. Not legal advice — confirm with the regulator or your counsel before acting.