Illinois Sports Betting – Where to Bet in Illinois

llinois Sports Betting

Since Illinois legalized sports betting in June 2020, sports bettors had to register in person at a casino to then place mobile sports wagers. Thankfully, as of March 5, 2022, that restriction has been lifted. Anyone physically located in Illinois will now be able to register for sports betting online. 

With only 7 online sportsbook options, Illinois certainly lags behind other leading states. However, we would anticipate more sportsbooks to come online now that the in-person registration restriction has expired.

Best Sportsbooks in Illinois 

1. Caesars Sportsbook

Caesars Sportsbook is a great sportsbook, with a ton of good promotions and odds boosts. We like to call Caesars Sportsbook the OddsBoost god because of the sheer volume of odds boosts they have on a daily basis. They also have some really good promos as well, highlighted below.

• Caesars Sign Up Bonus: Risk-free first bet up to $1,100
• Weekly odds boosts/profit boosts/risk-free bets
• Watch our full review of Caesars Sportsbook here. 

2. PointsBet

PointsBet follows suit with the previous books that offer a generous sign-up bonus. New users can get up to $2000 in 2 free bets. They also have daily odds boosts and generally a sleek interface that is easy to navigate. 

• PointsBet Sign Up Bonus: Get a $500 free bet on a fixed-odds wager (this just means any normal wager such as on a point spread) and a free bet up to $1500 on a PointsBetting wager. 
• Watch our full review of PointsBet here where we also walk through PointsBetting as well.

3. BetRivers

BetRivers also has a nice signup bonus in which they will deposit match up to $250. Other than that, they have nice daily promos and odds boosts that they call “House Specials.” We love betting those House Specials, as they normally have some profitable bets to make. 

• BetRivers Sign Up Bonus: Up to $250 deposit match
• Daily House Specials
• Weekly profit boosts 
• Watch our full review of BetRivers Sportsbook here

4. BetMGM

BetMGM also has a lot of odds boosts and promos to take advantage of. It also has a really nice user interface when scrolling through the different types of markets/props you want to bet. It’s very intuitive and easy to navigate. Some of the promos are highlighted below:

• BetMGM Sign Up Bonus: Up to $1000 Risk-Free Bet. Essentially- you can place a bet up to $1000 and if it loses you get that amount back in free bets.
• $10 free bet every week. Not a huge amount of money, but always nice to have $10 free dollars to play with on a weekly basis. 
• Watch our full review of BetMGM here. 

Is Illinois a Good Sports Betting State?

Is Mobile Sports Betting Allowed in Illinois?

Yes! As mentioned above, previously you needed to register in-person to be eligible for mobile sports betting. That restriction was lifted on March 5, 2022, and now anyone 21 years or older can register anywhere in the state.

How Many Sportsbooks Are Available in Illinois?

Illinois currently offers 7 sportsbooks. They are Caesars, PointsBet, BetRivers, FanDuel, Barstool, BetMGM, and DraftKings.

Does Illinois Have Good Sports Betting Odds?

While Illinois may not have the most sportsbook offerings; its odds have been comparable to other sports betting leaders like New Jersey and Colorado. 

How to Register for a Sportsbook and Deposit in Illinois

Now that the in-person registration requirement has been lifted, registration is very easy. You can do everything necessary to get signed up all from your phone/computer.

They also make signing up and depositing fairly simple as well. This is detailed in the next section, but for the sign-up process, the sportsbook will ask you a couple of personal questions to verify your identity. Then once you are signed up you can set up the payment method by syncing the app to your account. 

Illinois Sports Betting Rules & Regulations

Only two rules in Illinois.

1. Must be 21 or older.
2. Must be physically located in Illinois.
3. Wagers on in-state college teams are banned.

How to Bet in Illinois 

Luckily, it is pretty easy to get started in a state like Illinois. Let’s detail the steps below.

1. Find and download a sportsbook.
   • Let’s start with Caesars since they have such a generous offering of promos and odds boosts. In this case, a risk free bet up to $1,100
2. Sign up and Deposit
   • The sign-up and deposit step is pretty seamless. They will ask a couple of questions to verify your age and identity such as social security number, address, and/or driver’s license. But, it is pretty easy overall. 
   • Once you are signed up you will need to deposit money into your account. You will do this by selecting a payment method and proceeding with the prompt to get the payment method synced to your account. It is easiest to go with a direct deposit to a banking account since you can easily withdraw and deposit funds directly into that account.
3. Verify your Location
   • If you are on your phone then your phone will do this automatically using its GPS feature, but on the desktop can be a little more complicated. 
   • If you are using a desktop you will need to download a location tracking software called geocomply. Please refer to our article here with more details on geocomply. 
4. Place a bet!
   • Now you’ve gotten to the fun part. As mentioned earlier Caesars offers a wide variety of promotions and odds boosts for you to enjoy. But, in general, in order to place a bet, all you need to do is:
     • Navigate to the desired sport
     • Find the line that you would like to bet
     • Click or navigate to the bet slip
     • Click place bet!

Full List of Illinois Sportsbooks: