Illinois Online Casinos: Legal Updates 2025

Real money online casino apps are not available in Illinois, at least not yet. But Illinois online casinos could be coming thanks to promising legislation moving through the capital in Springfield.

We have all the information you’ll need to prepare you for the potential launch of iGaming in Illinois, including potential casino apps, casino games you’ll be able to play, and the rules that could accompany them.

Illinois Online Casino Details

When Will Online Casinos Be Legal in Illinois?

Bills are currently making their way through the Illinois General Assembly that would legalize wagering at real money online casinos in the state. The Internet Gaming Act (HB3080 and SB1963) would legalize iGaming in the state. On the house side, HB3080 was recently assigned to the Gaming Committee, which is more positive momentum toward real money online casinos in Illinois.

Rep. Edgar Gonzalez Jr. Is the sponsor of the house bill, while Sens. Cristina Castro and David Koehler are co-sponsors of the senate version. It appears that Gov. JB Pritzker would be open to signing online casinos into law if it gets to him, as the increase in state tax revenue could be massive.

As it stands, sweepstakes casino sites and apps are legal in Illinois, and there are plenty of land-based Illinois casinos, as well.

US online casinos are only legal in seven states, including neighboring Michigan. Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and West Virginia are the others.

What Online Casinos Could Be Available in Illinois?

The quickest way to an online casino license has proven to be have an existing sportsbook, so that’s the first place to look.

Here’s are the online sportsbooks available in Illinois, their land-based Illinois casino or racing partners, and their potential live casino counterparts:

Licensees don’t always carry the name of the online sportsbook or casino that you’re looking for, so when you see Penn Entertainment, Inc., as a licensee, just know that means ESPN BET. Your best bet when searching for an online betting app in Illinois is to simply look for the app name and don’t worry about who holds the license.

A 10th online sportsbook, bet365 Illinois, recently launched, which could pave the way for bet365 Casino in the state.

Depending on how many licenses become available for Illinois online casinos, you could also see Golden Nugget Online Casino, PokerStars Casino, Spin Palace Online Casino (formerly Betway), or others.

Types of Online Casino Games

The general rule with online casinos is, if you can play a game at a land-based casino, it will be available at a live casino mobile app. With potential Illinois casinos, we expect that to hold true.

Here are the types of games you’ll find at real money online casinos:

Online Slots

The closest like-for-like casino gaming experience comes in the form of real money online slot games. Many of the games you’ll find on your favorite online casino app are the same slot machines you’ll see on the casino floor.

There are traditional steppers with three reels, multi-reel slots, Megaways slots, video slots, progressive slots, and more. You’ll also find your favorite real money slot machines, such as 88 Fortunes, Wheel of Fortune, Cleopatra, and many, many more.

Table Games

The beauty of playing table games online is that there’s always a seat available. You can play blackjack, baccarat, roulette and craps all on your iOS or Android device from your couch in Chicago.

Online casinos will feature several different versions of these games, which are powered by random number generators to ensure fairness.

Live Dealer Games

Those table games can be played in video format, or you can join a live dealer game and watch the cards be dealt—or roulette wheel spin—by a real person.

Blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and craps are among the live dealer games, while you can also find Texas Hold ‘Em and other poker games at some online casinos.

Video Poker

While some states allow online poker sites that feature tournaments and cash games between players from around the state or even multiple states, what you’ll find at live casinos is pocket versions of video poker. Triple Play, Five Play, and Ten Play are among the video poker titles you can play.

Illinois Retail Casinos

There many options currently available for in-person gambling at Illinois casinos.

Advantages of Playing at Legal Online Casinos

Online gambling in Illinois is still confined to sports betting and sweepstakes or social casinos, but it only takes a little bit of googling to find an offshore casino.

Our recommendation is to resist that temptation, and if online casino gambling does launch in Illinois, you will certainly want to use the legal options. Here are the main reasons why:

• Security: Before online casino operators can obtain a license, they need to go through rigorous requirements that prove they can keep the information of their customers safe. While no site can ever guarantee 100% security, legal online gambling sites do a very good job with it. Plus, if your information is compromised, the licensing process makes it much easier for you to take action and rectify it.
• Consumer protections: On top of the security protections, you are also protected by the Illinois Gaming Board, which will oversee online casinos. So, if you have an issue that needs to be resolved at an online casino and aren’t getting answers, you can go to the IGB for help. At an offshore site, you’re on your own.
• Responsible gambling tools: All legal online casinos have tools within their apps and on their sites to make sure you’re gambling responsibly. Whether you need to take a timeout, set limits on your time or deposits, or take the leap and self-exclude, you can take steps to curb problem gambling right there at your online casino.
• Claiming online casino bonuses: As real money casinos fight for your business, they will definitely be greeting Prairie State bettors with lucrative online casino bonuses and promo codes. These come in a variety of forms, such as free spins and deposit bonuses. They’re mostly for new users, but existing customers will also have the opportunity to claim regular promos.

Tax Implications of Online Casinos in Illinois

Taxes are a major part of any online gambling legislation, for the operators, the government and the bettors.

In Illinois, one of the main reasons Gov. JB Pritzker is considering signing a potential online casino bill is the amount of tax revenue it could bring into the state. But for you, the bettor, how your online casino winnings will be taxed in Illinois is likely of more concern.

How Online Gambling Winnings are Taxed in Illinois

The first thing to know is that you have to pay taxes on any winnings from online gaming in Illinois, just as you do in any other US state. Winnings are subject to a 4.95% tax rate in Illinois, and the state does not allow deductions for gambling losses.

Reporting Gambling Winnings on Your Taxes

You need to claim your gambling winnings as “other income” when reporting your earnings. There is no minimum number for reporting your winnings, meaning anything that you win you are expected to report.

Online sportsbooks and casinos will provide a Form W2-G.

State vs. Federal Tax Rules for Illinois Residents

One key difference for federal taxes, compared to Illinois state tax is that you can deduct losses if you’re itemizing deductions on your federal taxes.

History of Online Gambling in Illinois

Illinois has a rich, often tumultuous gambling history, from the time of organized crime having a monopoly on it to the launch of online sports betting in 2020. Here are some key recent events that have impacted the Illinois gaming landscape.

February, 2025: Two key online casino bills begin making their way through the Illinois state house and senate, reviving the prospect of legal iGaming in the state.

July 1, 2024: The sports wagering tax in Illinois undergoes an overhaul, as it moves from a flat, 15% tax on licensees, to a bracket system, with the highest coming in at 40%.

March 9, 2020: Online sports betting launches in Illinois.

June 28, 2019: Gov. Pritzker signs the sports wagering act into law, opening the door for legal online sports betting.

Illinois Online Casino FAQs