Illinois Sports Betting: Best Illinois Sportsbooks December 2023
Is Sports Betting Legal in Illinois?
Yes. Sports betting is legal and regulated within the state of Illinois. The activity was formally authorized for both retail and online on June 28, 2019, when Senate Bill 690 was signed into law by Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker.
The first online sports betting site to go live in Illinois was BetRivers, which commenced operations on June 18, 2020. The first retail sports bet ever placed within the state of Illinois occurred on March 9, 2020, at Rivers Casino.
In all, there are eight legal, regulated online sportsbooks licensed to operate within the Prairie State. There are also a number of retail sportsbooks that can be found within land-based casinos as well as sports betting kiosks.
The minimum age to bet on sports while inside the physical borders of Illinois is 21. The minimum age requirement is typically verified—both live and online—through the use of an official photo ID along with other information that is requested by the sports betting service.
How to Get Started
It’s not difficult to sign-up for an online sports betting account and get started placing wagers online. If you’re a first time customer, there are a few steps that you’ll need to take in order to set up your account:
Choose an IL online sportsbook to sign-up for. Make sure that you are physically located within Illinois at the time of sign-up, and when placing online sports bets. If you click on any of our sign-up links above, we will ensure that you are eligible for the advertised welcome bonus, as long as this is your first time signing-up with the sportsbook.
Fill out your account details to create an account. The information required to open an Illinois online sportsbook account includes your full name, date of birth, physical address, email, telephone number, and your U.S. Social Security Number (SSN). This information is requested by all legal IL sportsbooks when registering for a new online account.
Get your welcome bonus. Each online sportsbook will have a slightly different process for claiming welcome bonuses, as well as different play-through requirements. Read the promotional material and follow the steps that are stipulated – including entering any relevant bonus code – to become eligible for your new account bonus. If you sign up via our links, we can help with claiming your bonus. If you’ve already signed-up for an account with the sportsbook (even if you were in another state), you will not be eligible for the welcome bonus.
Deposit some money. Most Illinois sportsbooks require a minimum deposit of at least $10, with the exception of DraftKings IL, which will allow a $5 minimum deposit. The sportsbooks in Illinois all offer multiple payment options for deposits. The deposit process at all our recommended sites above is simple and smooth, whatever method you choose.
Place your very first wager on the sportsbook’s site or app. You can browse the list of betting markets and add your selection to the betslip to lock it in. Make sure that the wager amount is in line with the terms and conditions of the welcome. For example, most “Odds Boosts” wagers are normally not eligible for promotional bonus bets, and huge favorites are often restricted in terms of clearing bonuses. Bonus bets for second chance offers generally appear in your account within 48 hours of the original wager’s conclusion.
Complete the bonus requirements and withdraw your winnings. If there is a time limit on claiming your bonus bets, make sure to fulfill the playthrough requirements within the stipulated time period in order to subsequently make those funds available for withdrawal.
Illinois Sportsbook Promos
Online sportsbooks in Illinois provide new customers with multiple incentives to sign-up and try the service. These welcome bonuses can vary greatly for each sportsbook. Below is a list – along with explanations – of the welcome offers that are generally advertised to new account holders.
Bonus Bets
Think of Bonus Bets as betting vouchers. These are usually offered to first time customers following an initial wager, and need to be used within a specific time period in order to become eligible for cashout.
One important note about Bonus Bets is that the customer will usually need to wager-through the promotional amount one or more times over before the winning funds can be withdrawn.
Second Chance Bets
Second Chance Bets are distinct from Bonus Bets because they are only awarded if the first wager was unsuccessful. For example, if your initial bet is graded as a winner, then the Second Chance Bet promo will not apply – and you can continue wagering online after receiving the payout for the winning bet.
Second Chance Bets are usually awarded for the exact amount of the initial wager, like a refund. Whether these promotional bets can be used for multiple events or need to be wagered all at once will depend on the sportsbook that you signed-up for.
Deposit Match Bonuses
These welcome offers match a percentage of your initial real money deposit in Bonus Bets or Credits. Some online sportsbooks will give you a 100% first deposit bonus up to a certain amount– which means the bonus will be more valuable depending on how large your initial deposit is.
For example, a 100% Deposit Match Bonus up to $1,000 will only award $20 in Bonus Credits if your first deposit was $20. However, if you deposit $1,000, you’ll receive an extra $1,000 in Bonus Credits.
No Deposit Bonuses
You can receive this type of welcome offer without making a real money deposit. It’s basically a one-off free bet, in exchange for signing up. Bonus Credits will be awarded to your new account for free, but you will still need to play-through the bonus amount (sometimes multiple times depending on the sportsbook) before you can withdraw your winnings.
What Mobile Sports Betting Apps Are Available in Illinois?
All licensed Illinois sportsbooks have mobile apps, in addition to their desktop sites. If you’re an individual who is constantly on the go and wishes to place sports bets online, you’ll want to choose a sportsbook that offers a state of the art mobile app to its customers.
Below is a list of the best online sportsbook mobile apps that are available in the Illinois market – along with individual ratings for each app for iOS and Android users.
FanDuel - 4.9 out of 5 (iOS); 4.8 out of 5 (Android)
BetMGM - 4.6/5 (iOS); 4.4/5 (Android)
Caesars - 4.7/5 (iOS); 4.6/5 (Android)
DraftKings - 4.8/5 (iOS); 4.6/5 (Android)
BetRivers - 4.0/5 (iOS); 3.0/5 (Android)
What Betting Markets Are Available in Illinois?
Betting markets – also known as the different types of wagers you can place – are very plentiful within the IL online sportsbook market. In fact, it’s more difficult to find a betting market that is NOT offered when it comes to professional sports events.
Here is a list of the typical betting markets that you will find available at your favorite Illinois online sportsbooks, along with a brief description of each.
Moneylines
A moneyline bet is a prediction on which team will win a game or contest. Of course, not all teams are evenly matched. This is why moneyline bets include favorites and underdogs determined by the odds. For example:
Carolina Panthers (+250)
Philadelphia Eagles (-315)
In this hypothetical NFL matchup, we can see that a $100 wager on the Carolina Panthers TO WIN (without any help from a point spread) will pay $250 in profits if the Panthers come out on top.
Consequently, a $315 wager on the Eagles TO WIN will award $100 in profits if Philadelphia beats Carolina. In this scenario, the Eagles are significant favorites while the Panthers are big moneyline underdogs.
A moneyline bet is among the most basic of betting markets. It is easy to understand and extremely popular among beginning sports bettors and sharps alike.
Point Spreads
Point spreads are likewise very common at legal sportsbooks in Illinois. They take into account the amount of points that a selected team wins or loses by.
Carolina Panthers +8.5 (-115)
Philadelphia Eagles -8.5 (-115)
In this example, a wager on the Carolina Panthers to not lose by more than 8 points will pay $100 for a $115 wager. And a bet on the Philadelphia Eagles to win by at least 9 points will likewise award $100 for every $115 that is committed.
A 30-22 Eagles victory would be enough to win a point spread bet on the Panthers; while a 31-22 Eagles victory would be a winner if you bet on the Eagles.
The payout odds for a Point Spread bet are usually much closer than the disparity in payout amounts between favorites and underdogs on the moneyline.
Totals
The totals betting market features an Over/Under on the total amount of points that will be scored for the specified sports contest. While these bets can be broken down by period or half, the most common form of a Totals bet is one that is placed on the final score.
Panthers vs. Eagles (O/U 52.5) (-115)
If the total combined final score eclipses 52.5 points, then bettors who wagered on the OVER will receive $100 for every $115 wagered. If the total combined final score is less than 52.5, then those who wagered on the UNDER will receive $100 for every $115 that was bet..
A Totals bet completely disregards which team wins or loses. If the final score is 52-0 in favor of either team, then the UNDER will win. If the final score is 53-0, then the OVER will win – regardless of which team actually won the contest.
Prop Bets
Prop Bets are among the more entertaining wagers available in the Illinois sports betting market. A proposition bet normally involves predicting whether a team or player will hit or miss a specific, stats-based benchmark over the duration of a sports contest or season.
Jalen Hurts: 1.5 TD Passes (Over/Under 1.5) (-115)
Basically, this bet is based exclusively on the performance of Jalen Hurts as it refers to touchdown passes. If this QB throws for zero or only one touchdown over the course of the entire game, then the UNDER will be victorious. If Hurts throws for two or more TD passes, the OVER wager will be graded as a winner.
Prop bets can become pretty involved – especially when they form part of a longer odds “parlay” bet. More on that below.
Parlays
A parlay bet is a combination of individual wagers that are all required to be successful in order to receive a relatively hefty payout. Parlays often award huge odds to winners due to how difficult it can be for all “legs” of the overall wager to come through.
+1440 Philadelphia Eagles vs. Carolina Panthers PARLAY BET
Philadelphia -8.5 (and)
Jalen Hurts +1.5 TD Passes (and)
Over 52.5 Total Points (and)
Jalen Hurts +260.5 Passing Yards
If one “leg” or part of this wager is not achieved, the entire wager is graded as a loss. However, if all four legs of this hypothetical parlay wager do indeed hit, then the individual who placed this parlay bet can likely expect a payout in excess of fourteen times the original wager.
So let’s say that the Eagles win by a final score of 35-21, with Jalen Hurts throwing for 255 Passing Yards along with 3 TD passes. The outcome of the wager would be graded as a loss because Jalen Hurts did not eclipse 260.5 passing yards. Even if the Eagles covered the stipulated point spread; and even if the total points OVER “leg” was achieved plus Jalen Hurts throwing for three touchdown passes. To win a parlay, every leg must be correct.
Futures
A Futures Bet is aimed at predicting how an individual player or team will perform in the days, weeks, or months to come. Think of a futures wager as a “milestone” bet, normally on the overall winner of a competition.
Philadelphia Eagles to win Super Bowl (+700)
In this example, the Futures wager will only pay out if the Eagles end their season with a Super Bowl victory. Anything less – such as being eliminated in the Playoffs or not making the postseason at all – would mean that this wager is unsuccessful.
So if Philadelphia does win the Super Bowl, this wager will award $700 for every $100 wagered.
Live Betting
Live betting involves betting on sports as they happen, in real time. At its most granular, you’re placing a wager on whether a specific baseball pitch will be a strike or a ball – who will win a single point in a tennis match, and so on.
Live odds are changing all the time, as the game progresses. Here’s an example:
Philadelphia Eagles: 3rd Down & 7 at Eagles 38 Yard Line
Pass Play (-330) -OR- Run Play (+400)
What Can’t You Bet On in Illinois?
The following wagers are NOT allowed in Illinois.
In-State college teams
Collegiate proposition bets
Amateur sports (grade school, intramurals, Little League, Pop Warner, etc.)
Political elections, including voter turnout or passage/failure of proposals
Scripted event outcomes (professional wrestling, awards ceremonies, etc.)
Entertainment venues/events (total attendance, order or playlist, etc.)
Non-sanctioned and/or non-sporting contests
College Sports Betting in Illinois
You can bet on college sports in Illinois, but you can’t place any wagers on in-state collegiate teams. Proposition bets on any collegiate team or player are also restricted in the state of Illinois.
The list below includes a few of the more well known NCAA Division I college teams that call the state of Illinois their home.
Illinois Fighting Illini
Illinois State Redbirds
DePaul Blue Demons
Eastern Illinois Panthers
Northwestern Wildcats
Loyola Ramblers
Northern Illinois Huskies
Southern Illinois Salukis
Betting on college sports is completely legal in Illinois (aside from prop bets), except if the team’s home university is located within the boundaries of Illinois’ borders.
Illinois Sports Betting Facts
How Does Illinois Online Sports Betting Compare to Other States?
Before March 2022, visiting a land-based casino and signing-up in person was a requirement for all online sports betting accounts in the state. Once the specter of in-person registration was officially lifted, Illinois residents and visitors who are 21 years of age or older can now register exclusively online - as is the case in most US states with legal gambling, including the likes of NJ and PA.
Due to Illinois’ relatively large population compared to other states, it ranks among the Top 3 overall in both sports betting handle and revenue. Only New Jersey and New York have attracted more overall handle in their respective legal sports betting markets compared to Illinois.
Illinois achieved $9.7 billion in total handle during the 2022 calendar year. New Jersey took in $10.9 billion in total sports bets during that year, and New York topped the nation with $16.28 billion total handle in 2022.
Historically, sports betting “hold” for the state of Illinois has been just over 8%. This is a significantly higher net revenue rate compared to states like Nevada – but pales in comparison to the massive 13% hold that the state of Ohio has enjoyed. Delaware is the highest-grossing sports betting state in terms of “hold” by a wide margin. Delaware turns almost a 20% profit from legal sports betting on average.
The blanket betting ban on in-state college teams generally doesn’t impact Illinois as much as it could (or already does) in other states. This is likely due to a relative lack of popular NCAA Division I “powerhouse” athletic programs located within the state when compared to other jurisdictions.
Illinois Sports Betting Latest News
Legal retail sports betting became a reality within the state of Illinois back in June 2019, but it wasn’t until March 2020 when the first land-based legal IL sports bet was placed. BetRivers was the first online sportsbook to accept a legal bet on June 18, 2020.
Nov. 14, 2023: ESPN BET opens for business in Illinois. ESPN BET is a rebranding of Barstool Sports, and will operate under the corporate umbrella of Penn National Gaming.
Sept. 29, 2023: Circa Sportsbook becomes the first Illinois online sportsbook to launch in 18 months, when BetMGM entered the legal IL online sports betting space in March 2022.
August 2023: The state of Illinois surpasses $25 billion in all-time handle for legal sports betting. The state also eclipses the $2 billion mark for Adjusted Gross Revenue (hold).
March 2023: Illinois sets its own record after announcing four consecutive months of legal sports betting handle in excess of $1 billion.
Jan. 25, 2023: An amendment to the Illinois Sports Wagering Act is proposed that would allow for peer-to-peer exchange wagering within the legal statewide sports betting market.
