Online Sports Betting in Illinois

How We Review & Pick the Best Sportsbooks in Illinois

It’s not always easy finding the best IL sportsbooks. For this reason, we’re willing to give our readers a helping hand by sharing some of our criteria used to decipher which platforms are the best for customers in Illinois.

Here, we’ve outlined the most important elements of every IL sports betting site and how you can use them to your advantage. Things like payment methods, safety, licenses, and more all come into play, with each bit of criteria playing its own role in how we pick the best IL sports betting sites.

Legal, Licensed, Safe

In order to ensure you avoid getting scammed, look out for illegal websites. Legal and licensed IL sportsbooks will provide information detailing their license, the security of the platform, and under which jurisdictions they are allowed to operate.

By playing at legal IL online sports betting apps and sites, you’re contributing to a fairer gambling environment. Here, customers are treated with respect, bookmakers are regulated, and platforms have nowhere to hide if they behave mischievously.

In Illinois, the regulatory body providing oversight is known as the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB). Under their ruling, sportsbooks are held to high standards across the board. This includes making sure that sites are licensed, operating in the correct manner, and providing customers with a respectful, enjoyable experience.

Despite claims from offshore sites, there is no question that legal sports betting in IL is not a grey area.

Good Range of Payment Methods

Is there anything worse than sifting through an online sports betting site, thinking that it has all the bells and whistles you could ever wish for, only to discover your preferred payment method isn’t supported?

That’s why it’s vital for bettors to rigorously examine the available deposit and withdrawal methods on each of the best IL betting sites. In most instances, you’ll be able to withdraw using the same method that was utilized to deposit, but that’s not always the case.

The best IL sportsbooks should support these payment methods:

• Credit cards
• Debit cards
• Bank Transfers
• Cash at cage
• E-wallets
• Cryptocurrency
• E-check
• Prepaid cards
• PayNearMe

Depending on the method of payment chosen, processing times may vary. It’s also a good idea to look at the time funds are held by IL sportsbooks prior to being released for withdrawals.

Wide Range of Sports & Betting Markets

Next up, we recommend glancing over the sports betting markets. This is because IL sports betting sites don’t always support the exact same markets as one another, so your favorite sportsbook might offer different markets compared to a new one you’ve been thinking of joining.

Does the IL sports betting site offer live streaming and in-play betting? Can I cash out? How many markets does it offer per sport? These are three important questions every IL bettor should ask before creating an account with IL sportsbooks.

Without a doubt, IL online sports betting should be open to players of all interests. That’s why the most popular sportsbooks have odds on the biggest sports in the world, such as:

• MLB
• NBA
• NHL
• Soccer
• MMA
• Tennis
• Golf
• Racing

High Betting Odds

Always keep an eye out for high betting odds. These provide the best possible opportunities to grab a handy win from a bet that would have previously been a little boring, and, in some cases, not even worth betting on.

For example, let’s say you’ve been looking at the odds on a specific betting site for a while, and for the most part, it’s been an underwhelming experience. We’ll call this bookie Sportsbook 1.

Sportsbook 2, on the other hand, has been showing off some higher odds. Right now, it has the Lakers to beat the Knicks at 3.0, whereas Sportsbook 1 is offering odds of just 1.5. By betting at Sportsbook 2, you’d effectively be doubling your money.

Too many bettors remain in their comfort zone at a specific bookmaker. Get out there and check out all the great odds displayed by the best IL sportsbooks right now. There’s a lot to take from simply experiencing other sites, and it’s the best way to hone your betting skills.

Mobile Betting & Apps

Betting on the go has never been easier for bettors in Illinois than it is today. Most of us use our smartphones and mobile devices for various other things in life, so why not add sports betting to the list?

If you’re desperate to be given the freedom to wager while on the move or if you simply want to place bets from home, look no further than IL sports betting sites that provide downloadable apps. These apps can be downloaded in an instant, with most offering the same great features found on the desktop version of the site.

Apps should be available on the following types of OS:

• Windows
• Android
• iOS

We take every care to ensure all bases are covered when testing mobile apps. Moreover, we check to see whether or not the browser version of the website can be used on a mobile device. For sites not supplying an app, this can be incredibly helpful to their customers.

Customer Support

Without a solid team working at customer support, the sportsbook stands no chance of surviving. The best IL sportsbooks have wonderfully helpful agents on hand at all times of the day, with each of them willing to go the extra mile in helping customers out.

That’s why we implore all of our readers to search for IL online sports betting sites that have reliable, efficient, and informative customer support agents ready to chat whenever you are.

See if the platform you’re thinking of joining offers support via any of these means:

• Telephone support
• Live Chat
• Support Ticket
• Email
• Support by Mail
• Social Media Support

The most dedicated sports betting sites will keep their customer support open 24/7 so that customers can get the help they need no matter what time of day it is.

Welcome Bonuses & Promotions for Existing Customers

The competition for customers in Illinois has never been higher than it is right now, and bettors are the beneficiaries of it. This is because IL sportsbooks are competing with each other every day, both for customers and revenue, which means they’re forced to offer new players fantastic opportunities in an attempt to attract new registrations.

Regardless of which IL online sports betting platform you end up choosing, the likelihood is that you’ll wind up being granted a reward of some sort. Look out for the following welcome bonuses when creating your account:

• Sign Up Bonus: By far the most common welcome bonus, and with good reason. Sign-up bonuses will usually match users’ deposits up to a certain amount, with some bettors doubling their money. 
• No Deposit Bonus: Newly registered customers don’t need to put funds into an account wallet to get involved with no deposit free bet offers. Just create an account, and whatever the bonus is, it should be credited to you.
• Free Bets: Although it’s not possible to withdraw free bets, players can earn impressive winnings from them. Free bets are usually earned by new customers when the first deposit or wager is made.

There are plenty of reasons to remain loyal to IL sports betting sites, too. More often than not, sportsbooks will give existing customers the opportunity to join in on a Loyalty Program, indulge in Reload Bonuses, or make the most of Enhanced Odds.

The definitions of these boosts can be found below:

• Loyalty Program: At its core, a loyalty program is there to reward customers that have stuck with an IL sports betting platform through thick and thin. Often, they’ll use a tiered system, and the more points earned from wagering, the better the rewards will be.
• Reload Bonus: The more you deposit, the greater you’ll be rewarded upon your next deposit. Reload bonuses can boost deposits by anything from 10% to 100% or more.
• Enhanced Odds: A normal bet with unbelievably rewarding odds.

How to Create an Account at IL Sportsbooks

Once you’ve decided on the sportsbook to create an account at, the most difficult hurdle has been passed. The next step is setting up your account.

To get started, there are a few things you’ll need to keep close by as they will likely be needed during the registration process. These are important documents containing personal information, as well as some details regarding basics about your life:

• Photo ID
• Date of birth
• Home address
• Email address
• Mobile Number
• Social security number
• Country of Residence

Once you’ve checked each of those boxes, it’s time to create your account with one of the sites offering legal sports betting in IL. To do this, visit your local retail venue that provides the sportsbook services you’re looking for, then fill out the registration form provided. Using the details mentioned above, this shouldn’t take long.

After completing the registration form and entering a username, as well as a new password, it’s time to activate your account. The IL sports betting site will either email a link to the address you’ve input into their database or send an SMS via text with a code.

Either enter the code or follow the link. In doing so, you’ll have activated your account.

Verifying Your Identity at IL Sportsbooks

Before being allowed to deposit, withdraw, and in some instances, wager at IL online sports betting sites, you’ll need to verify your identity.

This is an understandably tedious task for bettors, but it’s a sure sign that the betting site cares about the security of its customers. We know this because by verifying customers’ IDs, the operator can prevent criminals that may have stolen documents from setting up accounts at the bookie.

To confirm your identity, take photos or scan the following documents:

• Photo ID (driving license, passport)
• Credit card
• Utility bill (bank statement, phone bill)

It could take a few minutes for the security team at the IL sports betting site to confirm your ID. You’ll be notified when the confirmation has gone through successfully.

How to Deposit & Withdraw Funds on IL Sports Betting Sites

It couldn’t be much easier to deposit and withdraw at IL sportsbooks.

The first thing to do is log in, head to the cashier or banking section of the site, then click on the type of transaction you’d like to carry out.

The best IL sportsbooks accept the most popular payment methods, such as:

• Mastercard
• Visa
• PayPal
• Cryptocurrency
• Online Banking
• E-check
• PayNearMe

Quite often, IL sports betting sites will require that customers withdraw funds using the same method that was used to deposit. However, as not all payment methods are accepted for deposits and withdrawals, this isn’t a blanket requirement.

We should note that withdrawal times may vary depending on the payment method you’re using. For instance, e-wallets will process transactions significantly quicker compared to credit cards. 

Online Sports Betting Laws in Illinois

Now that online sportsbooks are legal in Illinois, bettors have more opportunities than ever before when it comes to wagering on their most-beloved sports action.

Legalized thanks to a bill signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker in 2019, sports wagering in Illinois took off as soon as it opened the following year. The bill, named SB 690, permitted sports betting to take place at racetracks, casinos, online, and even at lottery vendors.

However, the Governor had his attempt to extend the allowance for mobile registration at IL sportsbooks via the internet rejected in April 2021. This means that all new customers must register at a retail sportsbook for the foreseeable future.

One thing to note about sports betting at lottery vendors is that those wagers will be regulated by the Illinois Lottery rather than the Illinois Gaming Board.

For operators seeking to offer solely online sports betting services, they’ll need to cough up around $20million in licensing fees.

Regarding restrictions on what customers can bet on in Illinois, the following types of bets are strictly prohibited by law:

• Wagering on collegiate sports events
• Leagues involving minors
• An event that is not recognized as an official sports event (awards ceremonies, TV, etc)

The Regulatory Body for Sports Betting in Illinois

A body known as the IGB (Illinois Gaming Board) is, along with the Illinois Lottery, the provider of oversight for all things sports betting related.

Made up of five members, the IGB seeks to create a safer, fairer, more accessible environment for everybody involved in sports betting. Each member is personally selected by the Governor and subsequently approved by the Senate.

The IGB is capable of handing out, revoking, and suspending licenses of IL sportsbooks. The Board is given the final say on whether or not an IL sports betting site is up to the required standard needed to obtain a license. However, the IGB holds no responsibility for wagers taken by lottery vendors as those bets are regulated by the Illinois Lottery, which is a separate entity.

The main thing to remember about the IGB is that it is a regulatory body present to serve bettors in the best possible way. Players can report poor behavior from operators, enquire about particular laws, and offer insight.

Legal Sports Betting in IL vs Offshore Illegal Sportsbooks 

Remember how we explained that the IGB is a body in place to serve bettors? Well, that only applies to players at domestic, licensed IL sportsbooks. By playing at offshore, unlicensed betting sites, you’re putting personal information and money at risk.

This is because offshore sportsbooks are not regulated by a registered US body. Therefore, there is no way of knowing how safe the sportsbook in question is.

Under PASPA, states were not allowed to accept sportsbooks in the US. Now that PASPA is no more, there’s no reason to continue playing at offshore sportsbooks. By playing at offshore sports betting sites, you lose access to help from the IGB as the site in question is not under their jurisdiction.

As you can see, the best way to bet on sports events taking place across the world is actually by playing at sites from home. By wagering at the best IL sportsbooks based inside state lines, you’re adding to an increasingly healthy gambling environment, boosting local infrastructure through tax revenue, and playing safely. Using offshore sites is, quite simply, no longer necessary.