Illinois Betting Sites, Apps, & Promos
Illinois is one of the best sports betting states in the country with various sports betting apps and promotions available for bettors. Below, we provide a look at the best sites and promotional offers in the state.
Best IL Sportsbook Promos & Sign-Up Bonuses 2024 💰
Sports betting offers are not available this state.
Choosing the Best IL Betting Sites
Betting online from your desktop or from an Illinois betting app gives you much more flexibility than going to a physical sportsbook. Not only do you have more options, but you will have various bonuses and promotions to take advantage of.
Illinois betting sites are not all the same. Each one offers different betting types, payment options, bonuses, loyalty programs, and more. We do a lot of that research for you in our Illinois betting site reviews. By reading through those, you can determine the best Illinois betting sites for you.
How to Sign up with an Illinois Betting Site
After following our links to claim the welcome bonus, you will need to complete the registration process. As long as you are at least 21 years old, you can sign up. It will ask you for basic information that any online service would need.
Illinois sportsbooks will also ask for the last four digits of your social security number to confirm your identity.
Make sure you are aware of the welcome bonus’ terms and conditions since you may have a time limit to redeem the bonus, or an Illinois betting promo code could be required. We will break down all of that information in the review.
Downloading Illinois Betting Apps
Illinois betting apps are available for iPhones and Androids. After signing up, go to the IL betting site from your mobile browser. The sportsbook will provide a link so you can download the correct app.
Illinois sportsbook apps will use your location using geolocation services. You have to be within the state lines to place a wager.
The most popular way to bet is by using Illinois betting apps. You can place a wager while you are at home, on the road, or at a restaurant with friends.
Illinois Sportsbook New Customer Offers
The amount of Illinois betting bonuses available will differ depending on the sportsbook. However, all sportsbooks will offer a new customer bonus.
Illinois betting promotions for new customers can come in several different forms:
No Deposit Bonus: Getting bonus money just for signing up.
Deposit Match: A sportsbook matching a certain percentage of your first deposit with bonus money.
Bonus Bet: Getting a refund in bonus money if your bet loses.
Ongoing Illinois Betting Promotions
After using an Illinois betting welcome offer, there will still be ongoing promotions. Sportsbooks want to keep you around, so there will be chances to earn other betting bonuses. Always check the promotions page of the sportsbook to see what is new.
Here are the Illinois betting bonuses you may see offered after signing up.
Reload Bonus: Similar to a deposit match, but often a smaller amount.
Bonus Bets: Often given out for specific wagers or events.
Live Betting Bonuses: Earning bonus bets or bonus money by placing a live wager.
Insurance: Popular for parlays, insurance will refund a portion of your losing bet.
All of these Illinois betting bonuses will have terms and conditions. Be aware of these rules before claiming.
Illinois Betting Loyalty Programs
Another way to earn prizes or bonus money is through Illinois betting loyalty programs. The more you wager with the sportsbook, the more prizes you can earn.
Some loyalty schemes are pretty complex and can include levels you can reach to unlock more chances to earn bonuses, or receive priority customer support. Not only can you gain bonus bets to use at the sportsbook, but many loyalty programs will give you comps for hotel stays and dinners at select restaurants.
We go over Illinois sportsbook loyalty programs in our reviews. Some are much more worth joining than others. If you don’t plan on wagering much, they might not be important to you. But if you are betting a lot, it is definitely something worth looking into.
Sports to Bet on
You can bet on much more than just a few major sports when using an Illinois betting site. Go to the A-Z sports list on the site or app to see all of the available sports to bet on.
Here is a list of some of the sports to bet on using Illinois sportsbooks:
- Aussie Rules
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Boxing
- Cricket
- Cycling
- Darts
- Football
- Formula 1
- Golf
- Handball
- Hockey
- MMA/UFC
- NASCAR
- Rugby
- Snooker
- Soccer
- Table Tennis
- Tennis
- Volleyball
Illinois has banned betting on non-sports events, so you won’t be able to bet on any entertainment specials, such as award shows. Minor league sports are also excluded from the sports betting options.
When you are wagering on these sports, there will be various betting types. Some of the Illinois betting types include:
- Moneyline – Betting on a team to win
- Spread – Betting on the spread set by the sportsbook
- Parlay – Placing a single bet on the occurrence of multiple events. All must be correct in order to win the bet.
- Props – Betting on an event in a game that doesn’t involve the outcome of the game, such as the coin toss in the Super Bowl.
- Totals – Betting on the over/under of points or goals in the game.
- Futures – Betting on an outcome in the future, such as an NFL team that is going to win the Super Bowl during the middle of the season.
- Teasers and Pleasers – Moving the spread for or against your favor, which will change the odds.
Illinois Live Betting
Live betting is one of the more exciting aspects of Illinois sportsbooks. You can place wagers on games that have already started.
When sitting at home watching the game, you can bet on the lines as they change in real-time. Illinois live betting sites use top of the line technology and odds compilers to provide as many markets as possible.
Teams in Illinois
Sports betting entering Illinois was exciting for Chicago sports fans as there are several major league teams in the Windy City.
Illinois is home to the Chicago Bears (NFL), Chicago Blackhawks (NHL), Chicago Cubs (MLB), Chicago White Sox (MLB), Chicago Fire (MLS), and Chicago Bulls (NBA). All of these teams will have betting markets on Illinois sportsbooks.
People in Illinois can bet on collegiate sports, but unfortunately, you cannot bet on college teams that are located in the state. So, teams like the Illinois Fighting Illini and Northwestern Wildcats will not be available to wager on.
Depositing and Withdrawing from your Account
To start betting for real money and claim the welcome bonus, you will need to make a deposit. Each Illinois sportsbook will offer different accepted payment methods.
You will rarely be hit with any fees, but there will be a minimum amount that you can deposit or withdraw, which is usually around $10.
Here are some of the most used Illinois sportsbook payment methods:
- Online Banking
- PayPal
- Debit/Credit Card
- Skrill
- PayNearMe
- Play+ Card
- Wire Transfer
Most of the time, physical checks will also be offered for withdrawals. However, the minimum could be higher than other methods.
Responsible Gambling
There are warning signs of problem gambling, including borrowing money from friends to gamble or having the inability to stop betting. There are responsible gambling tools there to help you control your budget.
IL betting sites will allow you to set deposit limits, bet limits, and loss limits. Once your loss or bet limit is met, you won’t be able to place any more wager for the remainder of the time period that you set. These can be changed by contacting the customer support of the sportsbook.
If you need to contact someone, Illinois has created a resource called “We Know the Feeling.” You can call 1-800-GAMBLER, or text ILGAMB to 53342 to chat with someone from the organization.
The Illinois Gaming Board has also created a self-exclusion list. When you sign up, you won’t be able to create an account or bet with any legal sportsbook.
Legal Sportsbooks vs. Offshore Betting Sites
All of the IL sportsbooks on our site are legal to use. Your information is guaranteed to be safe and secure.
The same cannot be said for offshore betting sites. These sites and apps do not have to follow US or Illinois laws.
History and Future of Sports Betting in Illinois
Online gambling in the state is overseen by the Illinois Gaming Board. All of the sportsbooks have partnered with a casino or racetrack located in the state. In addition, sports arenas and stadiums can apply for a betting license, meaning Soldier Field and Wrigley field can offer betting within five blocks.
The executive order by Governor JB Pritzker has allowed for remote registration, which was not the original plan.
Illinois is one of the most populated states that allow sports betting, so it is an attractive place for many operators. All of the licenses have yet to be used, so expect more betting apps to enter the state in the near future.
Illinois Betting Sites FAQs
Yes. Legal sports betting began in March of 2020. You can bet at a physical sportsbook or on an online betting site.
No. IL betting apps will use geolocation services to pinpoint your location when placing a bet. You must be within the Illinois state lines.
You can bet on college games in Illinois, but the teams must be located outside of the state. No bets can be placed on in-state teams.
If you are over the age of 21, you can bet on Illinois betting sites. You don’t have to live in the state, but you must be within the state lines when placing a wager.