Only a year after online sports betting was legalized in Illinois five legal online sportsbooks are operating in the state, a clear sign that this is an important market with huge potential. On this page, you will find everything you need to know about online wagering in the Prairie State.
Online sports betting legal in Illinois
| Website: pointsbet.com | Founded: 2017 |
| Owner: Pointsbet | Headquarters: New Jersey |
BettingScanner's verdict 9/10
Pointsbet is an Australian company, that launched in the US in 2019. The sportsbook places a heavy emphasis on point spread betting, a unique form of betting where you are rewarded, or docked points, according to how wrong or right a bet was.
DraftKings is the largest fantasy sports operator in the US. Since 2018, they have established themselves as one of the country's most successful online sportsbooks. According to BettingScanner's 2020 survey, DraftKings can boast the country's highest brand awareness at 44%.
Draftkings sportsbook is operational in the following states:
The New York-based company began life as a daily fantasy sports provider but now can claim to be the country's most popular sportsbook. According to BettingScanner, it enjoys the second highest brand awareness rate in the US (41%).
Fanduel Sportsbook is operational in the following states:
BetRivers was a brick and mortar casino than transitioned to online gambling after the PASPA ruling in 2018.
The sportsbook is now operational online in the following states:
William Hill is one of the oldest sports betting companies in the world. It is based in London, UK and it is listed on the London Stock Exchange. William Hill launched its first retail outlet in the US in 2013.
It is now open for business in a number of states. However, it is online in the following:
The state of Illinois has now become the eleventh state in the US to offer online sports betting after the State Senate and House decided to do away with in-person registration.
The original plan was to insist that customers sign-up for sportsbooks in person before they could sign-up online. This restrictive policy has hampered states such as Nevada from reaping the full benefits of online sports betting.
There are currently five sportsbooks offering online wagering, and it looks like Illinois is fast establishing itself as one of the leading states when it comes to online betting.
Bet on sports in-person ✔
Bet on sports online ✔
Register with a sportsbook online ✔
Deposit & withdraw funds with a sportsbook online ✔
Bet on collegiate teams or collegiate games ✔
Bet on high/school sports ✘
Here are your most commonly asked questions about online sports betting in Illinois.
Yes. Online sports betting is now legal in Illinois. BetRivers became the first legal sportsbook to set up in the state in June 2020. There are now five online legal sportsbooks in the state including:
Yes. There are currently five online sportsbooks in the state; DraftKings, FanDuel, PointsBet, BetRivers and William Hill.
You can place an online wager anywhere in the state of Illinois.
However, you are currently required to sign-up in person. You can do this in the following locations:
BetRivers Sportsbook - 3000 S River Rd, Des Plaines, IL 60018
DraftKings Sportsbook - 200 S Front St, East St Louis, IL 62201
PointsBet Sportsbook - 3501 S Laramie Ave, Cicero, IL 60804
FanDuel Sportsbook - 9301 Collinsville Road, Collinsville, IL 62234
William Hill Sportsbook - 250 S Grove Ave, Elgin, IL 60120
Yes. DraftKings is now up and running online in the state of Illinois.
Yes. FanDuel launched their Illinois online sportsbook in 2020.
Yes, PointsBet is now live and operational in the state of Illinois.
The sportsbook is fully licensed and partnered with the Hawthorne Race Course.
In 2020, when the news broke that Illinois would legalize online sports betting, sportsbooks over the US and the world scrambled to apply for a license. Not only is it a state with a population of 13 million and five major league sports teams but it is also home to the countries third-largest city, Chicago.
The state was heralded as the sports betting market best positioned to overtake New Jersey, the state that currently has the most number of sportsbooks thanks to its low licensing fees and competitive tax rates.
In June 2020, after an amendment to the sports betting bill, which did away with in-person registration, BetRivers launched in the state.
Everything looked to be as predicted after FanDuel, DraftKings, Pointsbet and William Hill went live. Illinois quickly gained ground on New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Indiana, as sports betting revenue poured into the state.
Then in-person registration was re-introduced, meaning customers would now need to go to a physical location to deposit or withdraw cash. Again, sportsbooks scrambled to arrange a physical location that was convenient for Chicagoans, and revenue dropped.
This ushered in a period of oscillation between unrestricted online sign-ups and in-person requirements.
In April 2021, Governer Pritzker decided to reinstate in-person sign-ups.
We do not expect this to be a permanent setup as these type of restrictions can seriously hamper the potential of the local sports betting industry, as we have seen in Nevada.
There are a number of factors to consider when picking the best online sportsbook in Illinois:
A license → This is a crucial factor because a sportsbook that is not licensed cannot be trusted. If a sportsbook is licensed in a state other than Illinois it is still perfectly legal to sign-up to the sportsbook but you will not be able to deposit and withdraw in the state of Illinois. You should under no circumstances consider signing up to an offshore sportsbook - they are not licensed in the US and are therefore not liable.
High-value odds → This point isn't rocket science. Ultimately you should place a wager for fun and to potentially earn yourself some money. If a sportsbook consistently offers you low value odds, you're not going to make money and its not going to be fun.
Wide selection of bets → First, your sportsbook should offer a good selection of sports and events for you to wager on. Second, your sportsbook should also offer different types of bets, this can include moneylines, parlays, teasers and point spreads.
A generous but honest welcome bonus → When you sign-up to a sportsbook in a state like Illinois you should expect to be given a nice big bonus. Why? Well, because you're worth it. As a resident of Illinois, you could, in the eyes of your potential sportsbook, represent a lifelong customer and therefore anything that encourages you to sign-up to their sportsbook now would be well worth their money. New customers tend to stick with their sportsbook of they are satisfied with their product because it takes time and effort to get to know a new product. That is why in such a new market, with millions of potential new customers, sportsbooks are offering some truly eye-watering promos. However, in an effort to beat the competition, some sportsbooks have made some misleading claims - including unrealistic turnover requirements. That is why we suggest you do not necessarily just look for the biggest bonus but also the most honest one which offers the most value.
A user-friendly product → Sports betting, especially for beginners, can be intimidating when you're presented with endless lists of odds and wagering alternatives. That is why it is essential that you pick a sportsbook that you find easy to navigate.
Deposit & withdrawal options → Unfortunately the US banking system is not always up to date with the sports betting legislation and deposits via Visa or Mastercard get routinely blocked. It is therefore essential that your online sportsbook offers a suitable alternative like PayPal or Skrill, for both deposit and withdrawals.
Location (temporary)→ As it currently stands new customers are required to sign-up in person. This rule has been removed on a number of occasions and we expect by 2022 this requirement will have been removed. Not all online sportsbooks offer a physical sportsbook in, or around, Chicago, so if you are a resident of the city you should check what sportsbook is most convenient for you to get to.
PointsBet tops our list of best online sportsbooks. This does not mean that it is the best fit for you, but rather it performs best across the board.
PointsBet is fully licensed in the state of Illinois. This means that it has been approved by the Gaming Commission and that it has paid its license fee and is taxed on sports betting revenue. It also means that PointsBet is 100% safe to wager with.
PointsBet consistently offers odds with a value above the market average. Pointsbet offers particularly high-value odds when it comes to its unique PointsBetting.
PointsBet offers new customers a truly remarkable welcome offer. The bonus is split into two risk-free bets.
PointsBet is originally an Australian company, but thanks to its top rate product and unique points betting it has established itself as one of the best-loved sportsbooks in a number of major markets. PointsBet's mobile app is easy to use and looks great.
Nils Edmondson
The Chicago Cubs are a popular MLB team in the state of Illinois
Illinois has a number of professional sports teams to choose from, including:
Some of these sports teams have already considered opening up sportsbooks in their stadium or entering into partnership deals with sportsbooks.
Chicago Cubs, for example, have considered operating a sportsbook in their Wrigley Field home.
When it comes to finding the best odds for your particular Illinois-based sports team it is important to look at any potential partnership deals.
These deals mean that a sportsbook could offer better odds on your team's matches as well as a wider selection of wager options. You will also find more promos focused on your team.
Currently, there are the following partnerships in Illinois:
Population: 12.8 million
State Capital: Springfield
Largest city: Chicago
Popular Sports Betting Teams: Cubs and White Sox (MLB), Bears (NFL), Bulls (NBA), Blackhawks (NHL).
Online Sportsbooks: 5 live and operational
PointsBet has invested a lot into their complimentary content on YouTube. In the above clip, you can see they have drafted in the expertise of ex-golfer Paige Spiranic to discuss the US Open.
They offer a range of channels, depending on the sport of interest. They almost always hire a high profile ex-player to talk you through the upcoming matches/games/tournaments.
We find that these videos go a long way to building a connection with the customer and are generally well produced with some useful information.
PointsBet launched in Illinois in 2020 and has since picked up thousands of new customers. Its unique PointsBetting option along with the best welcome bonus in the state has ensured that it's been a huge hit in the state. It also helps that the sportsbook has sponsored two local sports teams.
If you sign up to PointsBet in Illinois today you will receive two risk-free bets worth up to $500 and up to $1,500 respectively.
FanDuel has only been live in Illinois for a month but it has already established itself as the most popular sportsbook in the state.
You can also bet with FanDuel in a number of other states such as New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Colorado, West Virginia, Iowa, Michigan, Tennessee and Virginia.
DraftKings is currently the second-largest sportsbook in the state of Illinois, after its main rival FanDuel. The two online sportsbooks enjoyed a competitive advantage thanks to the existing popularity of their Daily Fantasy Sports Product.
DraftKings and PointsBet are currently the only sportsbooks to sponsor a local Illinois-based team.
New Customers to DraftKings IL will be granted a deposit bonus of up to $1,000. However, there is an x26 turnover requirement attached to this promotion.
William Hill has been operational in Illinois since 2020. The British sportsbook offers new customers in Illinois a $500 risk-free bet.
BetRivers was the first online sportsbook to go live in the state. The sportsbook is owned by Rush Street Interactive a Chicago-based gaming company.
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