BetMGM Sportsbook Illinois 2023 Promos, Review

BetMGM Sportsbook, one of the leaders in the mobile sports betting industry, officially launched in Illinois on March 5, 2022.

Currently, BetMGM is offered in 21 states, and is one of the most popular sports betting sites in the United States. It’s third in market share nationally behind DraftKings and FanDuel.

Online sports betting was actually approved in Illinois much earlier than BetMGM launched. It was approved and signed into law in 2019 with the first legal sports bet placed in June 2020.

Its online registration went in fits and starts, because bettors were originally supposed to sign up in person only for the first 18 months until COVID wrecked that.

BetMGM Bonus Code Offer

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BetMGM Sportsbook is currently offering an exclusive deposit match offer where new customers can earn 20 percent of their deposit paid in bonus bets. BetMGM bonus bets are essentially funds to use within the sportsbook on any market or odds you prefer.

Let’s go through BetMGM’s current promotion, other promotions available for Illinois residents and everything to know before placing a wager with BetMGM Sportsbook.

How to Sign-up for the BetMGM deposit match

It only takes a few steps to take advantage of the BetMGM 20 percent deposit match.

Illinois bettors are able to earn a 20 percent deposit match from BetMGM up to a maximum $1,500 in bonus bets. 

BetMGM Sportsbook Illinois Review: 4.25/5

Bonuses & Promos: 4.5/5

Bonuses and promos at BetMGM are a tale of two types – they’re great for new users, but not so great for existing users.

First, for new users. BetMGM right now is offering a 20% deposit match up to $1,500, meaning you’ll get 20% of whatever you deposit in bonus bets. It’s one of the highest-value offers in the U.S. right now. 

BetMGM also sometimes offers easier “bet gets” – that means you just have to wager a small amount like $10, and you’ll get $200 in bonus bets.

They ran those in the NFL season and NBA and NHL playoffs. It’s a much better offer for someone just getting started who doesn’t want to deposit much.

Second, the existing user promos are .. not great. BetMGM lags way behind FanDuel, DraftKings, Caesars and Barstool in this department.

Their boosts are rarely strong, and there aren’t many profit boosts or no-sweat same game parlays to speak of.

Betting App & Features: 4/5

BetMGM’s tech is a bit behind DK and FanDuel, which is probably why it remains third in market share in Illinois and most other states despite huge investment from BetMGM.

User Interface

BetMGM’s layout isn’t terrible, but it lags behind DraftKings especially. It can be hard to find niche markets in sports like golf, tennis and auto racing, because they’re not organized very cleanly. 

Like many sportsbooks, the original user experience was designed conceptually for desktop sites many years ago, not mobile phones, where almost all betting happens today.

Stability & Functionality

BetMGM’s app is stable, but it’s a bit slow. It doesn’t have the modern-tech, sleek feel of DraftKings or FanDuel, but it’s not bad.

Odds & Variety: 4.25/5

As avid bettors, we enjoy BetMGM because they don’t always blindly copy the market. Most sportsbooks just move their odds when other books move to avoid being outliers. BetMGM doesn’t seem to do that as much. 

That means you can often find the best price on something at BetMGM, making it a sportsbook definitely worth having.

Odds

Other than being an outlier so you can find the best prices, BetMGM has the best pricing of any sportsbook on NFL first touchdown scorers. One of the most popular prop markets is deserving of mention here.

Sports

• Aussie Rules
• Baseball
• Basketball
• Boxing
• Cricket
• Cycling
• Darts
• Football
• Golf
• Ice Hockey
• Lacrosse
• MMA
• Motorsports
• Rugby League
• Rugby Union
• Snooker
• Soccer
• Table Tennis
• Tennis
• Volleyball

Registration, Deposit, & Cashout: 4/5

BetMGM’s “cashier” section is a bit buggy, and will sometimes reject your deposit. It also forces you to re-enter your bank account info every time you want to deposit, unlike FanDuel and bet365, which are able to keep it connected and deposit easily.

Withdrawing is simple, though, as you can send money right back to your bank account.

Where is BetMGM available?

Currently, all BetMGM location, besides D.C. and New York, are eligible for this promotion. Typically, D.C., Nevada and New York are excluded from most BetMGM introductory promotions.

Terms and Conditions of the BetMGM bonus code offer

Unlike many welcome offers, the BetMGM exclusive deposit match does not require a first bet to earn bonus bets. New customers in all locations, besides D.C. and New York, can use bonus code X to earn a 20 percent deposit match up to the maximum $1,500 in bonus bets.

New customers can get started with a new account and a minimum $10 deposit to earn $2 in bonus up to a $7,500 deposit to earn the maximum $1,500 in bonus bets. Bonus bets instantly deposit into your account and must be used within seven days of receipt.

BetMGM requires a 10x rollover in order to withdraw your winnings. This means if you make the minimum $10 deposit to earn $2 in bonus, you must wager at least $20 through BetMGM to begin withdrawing cash earnings.

BetMGM bonus bets can be used as funds by selecting them on your betslip. If you make a wager with bonus bets, the stake is returned to BetMGM but you keep the cash winnings.

Other BetMGM promos

As we mentioned, BetMGM doesn’t have a ton in the way of existing-user promotions. They’ll likely bring back first touchdown insurance for NFL games next season, but the summer is a bit dry.

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Illinois Sports Teams

The Chicago Cubs have played at historic Wrigley Field for over 100 years as the most popular baseball team in Chicago. The Cubs play in the NL Central with their fiercest rival being the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Chicago Cubs finally overcame their curse and won the World Series in 2016, their first since 1908. They were able to defeat the Cleveland Guardians (then Indians) in seven games.

This season, the Cubs are third in the NL Central behind the Cincinnati Reds and the Milwaukee Brewers. Hovering around .500, the Cubs have plenty of time left in the season to make a push towards a division title. You can find Cubs games available for wager on BetMGM.

Chicago White Sox

The Chicago White Sox have an equally long and tumultuous history in the MLB. The White Sox are famous for the historic cheating scandal in 1919 where they were accused of throwing the World Series for a payout. This led to the longstanding ban on American sports betting.

The White Sox have three championships in their history with the most recent being in 2005. Currently, they are in a rebuilding year as they are near the bottom of the AL Central. However, avid fans can always find White Sox markets on BetMGM Sportsbook.

The Bears are in make-or-break territory with Justin Fields at quarterback. He enters his third season off a promising sophomore campaign, but it’s no sure thing he develops into an elite quarterback.

The Bulls are one of the most historic franchises in the NBA with an all-time championship run in the 1990s with Michael Jordan. 

The Blackhawks are one of the original six teams of the NHL. After a long hiatus from the Stanley Cup, the Blackhawks went on an incredible run, winning three Stanley Cups in 2013, 2015 and 2017.

$1,000 BET INSURANCE!

4.5

Get up to $1,000 back in bonus bets if your first bet loses. 

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you. 21+ and present in Participating states. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.