Legal Illinois Sports Betting

March Madness Betting In Illinois

March Madness features the most betting odds outside of the Super Bowl, which means it’s a top betting option for anyone in Illinois. Even Illinois’ own colleges feature in the NCAA Tournament, which means you can bet on the Illini in the tournament. March Madness features a bracket style competition so there are going to be tons of wagers available, and you can check the international sportsbooks for the best March Madness odds.

Illinois Sports Betting Timeline

• October 2022 – Illinois sports betting handle broke $1 billion for the first time in October 2022.
• May 6, 2022 – The Chicago White Sox have partnered with Caesars Sportsbook in a move that mirrors similar moves made by the Bears and RSI.
• March 5, 2022 – The in-person sportsbook registration requirement, after being waived half-a-dozen times, is finally gone for good.
• October 29, 2021 – Online sportsbooks will no longer be required to offer in-person registration in Illinois, removing the requirement for in-person casino partners.
• July 17, 2021 – IL SB0521, a bill that would remove the requirements for in-state collegiate wagering, is referred to a committee, where it proceeds to get stuck, never leaving.
• June 25, 2021 – The Chicago Bears partner with Rush Street Interactive, the operator of BetRivers.com and Rivers Casino.
• April 4, 2021 – Gov J.B. Pritzker removes the order allowing for remote betting signups during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• March 8, 2021 – Gov. J.B. Pritzker extends his order allowing remote sportsbook signups so that March Madness falls within the remote signup period.
• February 11, 2021 – Rep. Michael Zalewski proposes an end to the in-state collegiate betting requirements, although his bill, HB 0849, will not pass.
• November 14, 2020 – The Governor’s order allowing remote registration for online sportsbooks is extended once again.
• October 20, 2020 – The Governor’s order allowing for remote registration at online sportsbooks in Illinois is again extended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• September 21, 2020 – For the second time, Gov. J.B. Pritzker has extended his order allowing for the removal of in-person sportsbook registration requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• August 24, 2020 – Gov. J.B. Pritzker has reinstated an order that allows for remote registration for online sportsbooks, after it was left out of his re-signing at the end of June.
• July 27, 2020 – Illinois will sunset their in-person sportsbook requirement removal program, as Gov. Pritzker did not sign an order extending it.
• July 1, 2020 – Illinois casinos and sportsbooks reopen to the public.
• June 5, 2020 – Gov J.B. Pritzker has issued a stay of the in-person registration requirement for Illinois sportsbooks.
• March 8, 2020 – The first sports bet under the new set of laws in Illinois is placed by hockey legend Eddie Olczyk.
• June 28, 2019 – Gov. J.B. Pritzker signs Illinois sports betting into law by signing the omnibus gaming bill.
• June 3, 2019 – The Illinois State Legislature has passed SB 690, the omnibus gaming bill that includes sports betting. It passed the House with a final tally of 87-27, and the Senate with a vote tally of 46-10-2.
• February 21, 2019 – Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced that he was officially coming down on the side of sports betting in his budget address.

Illinois Sports Betting Regulations

Illinois sports betting is subject to a variety of restrictions. The primary restriction, which is no longer in place, was a ban on online registration. This restriction was first lifted by executive order, then codified by the passage of HB 3136. HB 3136 also created a workaround to be able to offer in-state college bets at retail sportsbooks. IL sports betting apps have restrictions on accepting bets on in-state college teams. Illinois’ sportsbooks have a progressive tax rate, based on the sportsbooks’ betting handle.

Super Bowl Betting In Illinois

The best sportsbooks with which to wager on the Super Bowl in Illinois are going to be international. Despite the fact that Illinois has regulated online sports betting, there are none that are better than Bovada, BetOnline and SportsBetting, some of the top online sportsbooks in the world. Make sure to check them out – because there’s already odds on Super Bowl 58 up on these books.

Betting On The Chicago Bears In Illinois

The Bears were the worst team in the NFL, locking up the first pick in the NFL draft for 2023. Bettors can wager on who they will use that pick on – will they complement QB Justin Fields or will they seek to replace him? You can also bet on whether or not the 2023 Bears will make the playoffs or not – here are their past results!

Chicago Bears Past Playoff Odds Results

• 2022: Miss -800
• 2021: Miss -275
• 2020: Make +175
• 2019: Miss +100
• 2018: Make +240
• 2017: Miss -1400

What Is The Legal Sports Betting Age In Illinois?

Pari-mutuel wagering has a legal sports betting age set at 18 while casino and sports betting require gamblers to be 21+ in Illinois. Legal internet sportsbooks set age of 18 for their players but gamblers in Illinois should wait until they reach the required legal age of the state before joining one of these outlets.

Betting On Sports In Illinois With Cryptocurrency

Although the regulated online sportsbooks in Illinois don’t allow it, the licensed online sportsbooks in the state do let you bet on sports with cryptocurrency. Betting on sports with crypto comes with plenty of upside to it such as great deposit limits, huge deposit bonuses that could score you up to $1,000, and the ability to link your crypto wallets to your sports betting accounts and send funds in just seconds. Some of the available crypto betting options include:

• Bitcoin
• Ethereum
• Litecoin
• Solana
• Shiba Inu
• Cardano
• Dogecoin
• USDT
• Bitcoin Cash
• Apecoin

Can I Bet Real Money On Sports In Illinois?

Real money sports betting in Illinois is available through multiple outlets. There are retail sportsbooks, mobile apps provided by the state-sanctioned industry, and internet sports wagering websites, all available to sports bettors for gambling real money on sports in Illinois.

Online & Mobile Sportsbook Options In Illinois

Illinois is home to several mobile sportsbook apps that offer statewide betting. Illinois has popular local sportsbooks in Barstool, Caesars Sportsbook, and FanDuel. Each active sportsbook must partner with a retail casino operation.

Illinois Mobile Sportsbooks and Retail Partnerships

• Bally Bet (Bally’s Quad Cities) – TBD
• Barstool Sportsbook (Hollywood Casino Joliet, Aurora, Argosy Casino Alton) – March 2021
• BetMGM (Online License) – March 2020
• BetRivers (Rivers Casino Sportsbook) – June 2022
• Caesars Sportsbook (Grand Victoria, Harrah’s Metropolis, Harrah’s Joliet) – March 2022
• Caliente Interactive (Online Only) – TBD
• Circa Sports (New American Place Casino) – TBD
• DraftKings Sportsbook (DraftKings at Casino Queen) – August 2020
• FanDuel (FanDuel Sportsbook and Horse Racing ) – August 2020
• PointsBet (Hawthorne Race Course) – September 2020

Where’s The Closest Place To Me To Bet?

Illinois has several different retail casino sportsbooks — mainly centered around Chicago and the Missouri border. There are currently 11 operational retail sportsbooks in Illinois, with the first to open being the Rivers Casino Des Plaines. In December, the Chicago City Council removed the city’s ban on in-person sportsbooks. As a result, Wrigley Field (home to the Chicago Cubs) partnered with DraftKings sportsbook and the United Center (home to the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks) partnered with FanDuel sportsbook. Both venues plan to launch an in-stadium sportsbook, hopefully before the beginning of their respective 2023 seasons.

The sportsbooks in Illinois constantly evolve whether by brand or location. The construction of the Chicago casino is causing PENN to relocate their Aurora and Joliet sportsbooks. We’ll keep current with the new Illinois sportsbooks opening.

What Teams Can I Bet On?

While you can bet on any sports team that you could possibly think of, Illinois has some of the top sports teams in the country for you to bet on. That includes seven professional sports teams and 13 Division 1 collegiate teams.

Professional Teams In Illinois

• Chicago Bears – NFL
• Chicago Blackhawks – NHL
• Chicago Bulls – NBA
• Chicago Cubs – MLB
• Chicago Fire – MLS
• Chicago Sky – WNBA
• Chicago White Sox – MLB

DI Teams In Illinois

• Bradley Braves
• Chicago State Cougars
• Eastern Illinois Panthers
• DePaul Blue Demons
• Illinois Fighting Illini
• Illinois State Redbirds
• Loyola Chicago Ramblers
• Northern Illinois Huskies
• Northwestern Wildcats
• SIU Edwardsville Cougars
• Southern Illinois Salukis
• Western Illinois Leathernecks

Betting On The Chicago Bulls

While the Chicago Bulls have one of the richest histories in the NBA as an explosive scoring team, in recent seasons, you would find a profit betting on their total points going under in recent seasons. Looking at the last five seasons, they have gone 174-158-5 with the under in points in their game, which is the most unders hit in that span by any team in the Central Division. The under in points for them has hit at a 52.4% success rate as they have hit it at a .500 record or above in three of the last five seasons. The primary way they accomplished that was by dominating bad teams. As a favorite in the 2021-22 season, the Bulls went 31-16-1 against the spread, good for a 66% cover rate that was fourth in the league. As an underdog they struggled, going 13-26 against the spread, resulting in 33.3% cover percentage that was tied for second worst in the league.

Bulls Previous Under Records

• 2022: 45-40-2
• 2021: 39-33
• 2020: 31-34
• 2019: 41-38-3
• 2018: 38-44

How To Bet On The Fighting Illini In Illinois

The Illinois Fighting Illini football team, while they haven’t been successful with their S/U record since 2018 with a 25-32 record in that span, they’ve done a nice job against the spread. ATS in the last five seasons, they have an overall record of 31-25-1 at a 55.4% success rate and are covering the spread by +2.8 points on average. In the 2022 season, they caped it off at an 8-4 S/U record, 8-4 ATS record, and cashed the over on their 4.5 win total projection.

Illinois Previous ATS Records

• 2022: 8-4
• 2021: 7-4-1
• 2020: 3-5
• 2019: 8-5
• 2018: 5-7

D-I College Sports Teams In Illinois

D-III College Sports Teams In Illinois