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Online Casinos in Illinois

Are real-money online casinos legal in the Land of Lincoln, and what can you actually play online while HB 4797 sits in committee?

Short Answer

No. There are no licensed online casinos in Illinois.

Illinois has not enacted an iGaming law. The state licenses no real-money online slots or table games, and any site advertising 'Illinois online casino real money' is offshore and unregulated. Rep. Edgar Gonzalez Jr. refiled HB 4797 on February 2, 2026 to create a state Internet Gaming Act, but an identical bill stalled in committee a year earlier. What is legal: 10 mobile sportsbooks, the Illinois iLottery, 17 commercial casinos, and licensed charitable gaming.

Latest Updates

Stake.us pulls out of Illinois after gaming board cease-and-desist

Stake.us closed to Illinois players on May 19, three months after the Illinois Gaming Board sent the sweepstakes site a cease-and-desist letter. Player accounts moved to "redeem only" status. Customers can withdraw existing balances but can no longer purchase coins, join promotions, or play games.

The Illinois Gaming Board, working with the state attorney general's office, sent similar letters to more than 65 sweepstakes operators in February over alleged unlicensed online casino activity. Stake.us is among the few brands so far to comply.

The exit pulls Stake.us out of 19 US states. Its parent still serves players in 31 states and remains one of the largest dual-currency sweepstakes brands in the country.

More Illinois news →
Real-money online casinosNot legal, HB 4797 pending
Online sports bettingLegal, 10 mobile sportsbooks
Online pokerNot legal as a separate market
Illinois iLotteryLegal since 2012
Sweepstakes / social casinosCrackdown underway, 65 cease-and-desist orders
Commercial casinos17 statewide, including Chicago
Tribal casinosNone operating, no compact
Charitable gaming (bingo, raffles)Legal, IL Department of Revenue licensed
Minimum gambling age21 for casinos and sportsbooks, 18 for the lottery
RegulatorIllinois Gaming Board
Regulatory Timeline

How It Happened

  1. Riverboat Gambling Act signed

    Gov. Jim Thompson signs Public Act 86-1029 at the Peoria Boatworks, making Illinois the second state to legalize riverboat casino gambling under a 10-license cap.

  2. Sports Wagering Act signed

    Gov. J.B. Pritzker signs the Sports Wagering Act (230 ILCS 45/), authorizing online and retail sports betting for anyone 21 or older through casinos, racetracks, and large sports facilities.

  3. Prairie Band Potawatomi becomes Illinois' first federally recognized tribe

    The U.S. Department of the Interior places 130 acres of the Shab-eh-nay Reservation in DeKalb County into trust for the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, the first tribal land in Illinois held in federal trust.

  4. HB 4797 iGaming bill reintroduced

    Rep. Edgar Gonzalez Jr. refiles the Internet Gaming Act, which would license each of the 17 Illinois casinos to operate three iGaming skins at a 25 percent tax rate. The 2025 version of the bill never left committee.

  5. IGB issues 65 sweepstakes cease-and-desist letters

    The Illinois Gaming Board and Attorney General Kwame Raoul order 65 sweepstakes operators, including Chumba, LuckyLand, Fliff, Stake.us, and Pulsz, to block Illinois players, citing 720 ILCS 5/28-1.

Where to Play

Online Casinos for Illinois Players

Illinois licenses no online casinos. This is a placeholder listing until our database is wired in. HB 4797 would, if enacted, allow up to 51 licensed iGaming skins tied to the state's 17 land-based casinos.

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The Law

Why There Are No Online Casinos

Illinois regulates gambling through the Illinois Gambling Act (230 ILCS 10/), the Sports Wagering Act (230 ILCS 45/), the Lottery Law (20 ILCS 1605/), and the Video Gaming Act. None of those statutes authorize real-money online slots or table games. Rep. Edgar Gonzalez Jr. refiled HB 4797 on February 2, 2026 to create a state Internet Gaming Act that would let the Illinois Gaming Board license each of the 17 land-based casinos to operate three online skins, taxed at 25 percent of gross gaming revenue. An identical bill stalled in committee in 2025 after pushback from unions and brick-and-mortar casino operators.

Sweepstakes platforms are under direct pressure. On February 5, 2026 the Illinois Gaming Board and Attorney General Kwame Raoul issued 65 cease-and-desist letters to operators including Chumba, LuckyLand, Fliff, Stake.us, and Pulsz, citing 720 ILCS 5/28-1 as the prohibition on unlicensed online casino play. Three months later only Stake.us and a handful of smaller sites had pulled out. Sen. Bill Cunningham’s SB 1705, which would make running a dual-currency sweepstakes platform a Class 4 felony, remained pending on the Senate floor as of May 2026.

Play Responsibly

You must be 21 to play at an Illinois casino or sportsbook, and 18 for the iLottery. If gambling stops being fun, call 1-800-GAMBLER for free, confidential help, or read our responsible gambling guide.

FAQ

Illinois Gambling FAQ

Are online casinos legal in Illinois?+

No. Illinois licenses no real-money online casino operators. Rep. Edgar Gonzalez Jr. refiled HB 4797 on February 2, 2026 to create a state Internet Gaming Act, but the bill remained in committee as of May 2026. Sites advertising 'Illinois online casino real money' are offshore and unregulated.

Can I legally bet on sports online in Illinois?+

Yes. The Sports Wagering Act has covered online sports betting since 2019. Ten mobile sportsbooks operate in the state, including DraftKings, FanDuel, BetRivers, and BetMGM. You must be 21 and physically inside Illinois to place a wager.

Are sweepstakes casinos legal in Illinois?+

It is contested. On February 5, 2026 the Illinois Gaming Board and Attorney General Kwame Raoul issued 65 cease-and-desist letters to sweepstakes operators. Only Stake.us and a handful of smaller sites pulled out. SB 1705 would make running a dual-currency sweepstakes platform a Class 4 felony but had not cleared the Senate floor as of May 2026.

How many casinos does Illinois have?+

Seventeen commercial casinos operate statewide under the Illinois Gambling Act, regulated by the Illinois Gaming Board. Illinois has no tribal casinos; the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation became the first federally recognized tribe with Illinois land in trust on April 19, 2024 but has not signed a gaming compact.

How old do you have to be to gamble in Illinois?+

Twenty-one for casinos, sportsbooks, and video gaming terminals. Eighteen for the Illinois Lottery, the iLottery, and charitable gaming such as bingo and raffles.

Will Illinois legalize online casinos?+

Maybe. HB 4797 and its Senate companion SB 3723 are live as of May 2026, and Gov. J.B. Pritzker has called online casinos 'worthy of consideration' for the state budget. Casino operators and labor unions oppose the bill on cannibalization grounds, the same fight that killed the 2025 version. We update this page when the legal status changes.