Special March Madness Rules for Illinois Sports Betting

• The NCAA March Madness tournaments are beginning soon
• Illinois collegiate sports betting rules are different than most states
• There are key differences to know about Illinois online and retail sports betting for March Madness

The madness of March is on its way, as the men’s NCAA basketball tournament is set to begin on Tuesday, March 18.

But if you live in Illinois, you may find that you are prohibited from making certain bets on college basketball when the NCAA tournaments begin.

Understand what you can bet on here before you go online or head out to retail sportsbooks in your area.

Illinois In-State College Sports Betting Rules for March Madness

The Illinois Gaming Board has strict rules and regulations when it comes to betting on college sports in the state. Illinois launched sports betting in March 2020 and initially prohibited all collegiate sports bets on in-state schools.

This lasted until 2021, when the board amended the law to allow for bets on in-state colleges as long as they were placed in-person at retail sportsbooks.

However, the Illinois general assembly did not extend this amendment after its sunset date of July 1, 2024.

Presently, Illinois online sports betting apps, including new addition bet365 Illinois once it launches, can accept bets on collegiate sports events that take place in the state, but they cannot do so if they include an Illinois college or university. Retail sportsbooks may also not accept bets on any in-state colleges or universities as well.

The same goes for prop betting on the tournament. Illinois has yet to place a prohibition on collegiate prop bets, but sportsbooks will not allow bettors to place player prop bets on any Illinois athletes.

These prohibition can make life difficult in March, as several Illinois programs usually find themselves in the mix to make the NCAA men and women’s tournament.

Which Schools Are Affected by Illinois College Betting Rules?

The prohibition on in-state college online sports betting is in effect for all D1 NCAA teams.

Likely, the most popular school this affects is the University of Illinois, which has been a top-seeded program in the NCAA tournaments for the past several years. Northwestern and University of Loyola Chicago have also found themselves in the tournament as of late, but will likely have to win their conference tournaments to receive a bid.

Before you visit your favorite March Madness betting apps, check out the schools affected by the prohibition:

• Bradley University
• Chicago State University
• DePaul University
• Eastern Illinois University
• Illinois State University
• Loyola University Chicago
• Northern Illinois University
• Northwestern University
• Southern Illinois University Carbondale
• Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE)
• University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC)
• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Western Illinois University