Illinois

With ten legal sportsbooks available for download in the state along with retail locations, bettors in the Prairie State have no shortage of sports betting options.

Illinois is one of the most prominent states in the U.S. when it comes to sports, and since 2020, residents have been able to wager on sports in both a retail and mobile setting. There are no restrictions on betting on professional sports in Illinois, but betting on collegiate sports can get confusing. If a customer wants to wager on a local in-state college, they must do so at a retail location. As long as the bet they are trying to make doesn’t involve one of those schools, they can wager on it online.

Daily fantasy sports apps and horse racing betting are also available in Illinois, meaning that greyhound racing and esports betting are the only two things residents are not allowed to wager on.

Online sports betting in The Prairie State

It was not long after PASPA was overturned before Illinois legalized sports betting. In June 2019, the state decided to join the growing list of states that had joined the movement. The bill that changed everything in Illinois was SB 690, which allowed all casinos, race tracks, and sports venues to become retail betting facilities.

This would also bring about three online-only licenses, so both retail and mobile betting would be able to launch around the same time frame. By March 2020, BetRivers became the first sportsbook to launch officially. Other significant operators have slowly followed suit of BetRivers, as FanDuel, BetMGM, DraftKings, and Caesars were all operating in IL by the end of 2022. Most recently, ESPN Bet and Circa Sportsbook debuted in the state.

Some states do not have the luxury that Illinois does regarding mobile sportsbook variety. Since Illinois already has existing casinos and race tracks, the transition into sports betting was one of the smoother ones we’ve seen, and as a result, more licenses were handed out.

If a sportsbook gains popularity over time or bursts onto the scene, there is always a good chance it will end up in Illinois. We have already seen a lot of movement regarding who is staying and leaving the market.

All legal IL sports betting apps in 2025 (from newest to oldest):

Sports betting & gambling legislation in IL

A bettor must be at least 21 years old to place a proper legal wager in Illinois. This applies to both online and retail wagers. The positive is that all bettors in the state who are at least 21 years old can create as many betting accounts as they please across the different products offered in the state. This rule, along with all other regulations and restrictions, is enforced by the Illinois Gaming Board.

Since the state decided to change its rule about remote registration in 2022, users can also create accounts in the comfort of their own homes through remote registration. Prior to March 2022, residents needed to be inside the online operators' partner retail location to register for that mobile sportsbook. Whether a bettor places a bet in person or online, they are subject to a flat tax rate of 4.95%.

The only thing that remains illegal in Illinois is online casinos, which could change over time. However, with the current betting structure and how much the state has consistently made on a monthly basis, this topic likely isn’t a high priority. While online casinos or poker are not offered to residents, bettors in the state can play sweepstakes online poker and partake in the state lottery.

Encore bets and surprise guests: How Lollapalooza could inspire a new prop market

Chicago’s iconic Lollapalooza music festival isn’t just a prize for the ears of music fans, but it could become a revolutionary novelty betting market. The basic premise of this market would be allowing music fans to wager on which song a headliner such as Kendrick Lamar opens with or if someone like Billie Eilish closes her set with “Happier Than Ever.” With thousands of fans speculating online and pouring over leaked setlists, sportsbooks could flip that passion into prop markets.

These wagers wouldn’t affect the integrity of the performance but would flourish on fan knowledge, artist concert set list patterns, and tour history. Markets could include “First song played,” “Surprise guest appearance,” or “Encore prediction.” If legalized, even a sliver of Illinois’ $1 billion+ betting handle going toward festival bets could generate hundreds of thousands in new wagers and potentially tens of thousands in tax revenue.

Most recent updates from the IL sports betting scene

• April 14, 2025: The Chicago Bulls have made the NBA Play-In Tournament as the ninth seed and will play the Miami Heat in their first game. Chicago is (-1) for the game and (+390) to make the playoffs.

• April 3, 2025: Illinois joins multiple other US states and orders Kalshi, Robinhood, and Crypto.com to halt unlicensed sports-based prediction markets, labeling them illegal betting. The state warned that continuing operations could lead to serious legal consequences.

• March 16, 2025: Bet365 expands to Illinois, its 13th US market, through a partnership with Walker’s Bluff Casino Resort. Joining states like Ohio and New Jersey, Illinois bettors (21+) can now access the platform and sign up at il.bet365.com starting today.

• March 10, 2025: The Illinois Fighting Illini are (+750) to win the Big Ten Conference Tournament.

• March 5, 2025: After a down year, the Chicago Cubs are (+125) to win the NL Central and (+500) to reach the NLCS.

• February 26, 2025: As Spring Training heats up, the Chicago White Sox are the favorite to have the worst record in baseball this season at (-140).

• February 24, 2025: Coming off their third straight loss, which was a blowout to Duke, the Illinois Fighting Illini are now (+2200) to make the Final Four.

• February 17, 2025: New Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson has opened as the favorite to win Coach of the Year at (+750).

• February 10, 2025: The 2024-25 NFL season has come to a close, and the Chicago Bears have opened at (+4000) to win the Super Bowl in 2025-26, while Caleb Williams has opened at (+2800) to win MVP.

In-person sports betting sites and locations

Casinos and race tracks existed in Illinois long before sports betting was an issue that states could address individually. When SB 690 was passed in June 2019, all of these locations became legally allowed to be retail sports betting locations, which resulted in plenty of partnerships with well-known operators.

As we head into 2025, there are currently 13 licensed permanent casino locations in Illinois, so residents have plenty of options for in-person betting.

How a casino at O’Hare could transform airport entertainment and profits

O’Hare International Airport is already one of the busiest travel hubs in the world, but could it also become a destination for high-stakes gambling? With millions of travelers passing through each year, a casino lounge inside O’Hare could revolutionize airport entertainment, offering everything from slot machines to sports betting kiosks for passengers with long layovers.

Airports in Las Vegas and Reno already feature slot machines, but that is far from a full-fledged casino. Illinois, known for its progressive approach to gambling expansion, could be the first to blend travel and gaming by introducing a gambling space within O’Hare.

This action could generate millions in extra revenue, appealing to both business travelers and high-rollers making international connections. However, regulatory challenges persist, as airport security and state gambling laws would require massive changes to permit real-money betting within a federally controlled space.

Still, as Illinois consistently seeks new ways to revolutionize the gaming industry, the concept of an airport casino might not be too far-fetched. If put into action, O’Hare could establish a precedent for a new era of global airport gambling.

CTA Prop Bets: Turn Frustrating Wait Times Into Wagering Wins

CTA delays are both a shared frustration and a bonding experience. Those are two things that play pretty well into gambling, so why not turn the wait into entertainment? Placing a lighthearted wager on whether the Red Line arrives within five minutes or if the Blue Line gets stuck in the loop again could help make the wait more manageable. With access to verified, real-time CTA data, novelty betting on Chicago train delays could become a surprisingly engaging micro-market.

While clearly humorous, this concept has real potential for gamified urban engagement. At the same time, there are morality concerns, among other things. However, if just a fraction of Chicago’s daily riders participated through geofenced betting apps, the result could be thousands in novelty wagers each week. After all, if commuters can’t avoid the delays, they might as well try to make some extra coin to pay for their next ride.

Other gambling-related news & stories from Illinois

• February 11, 2025: Illinois' latest attempt to legalize online casinos comes via HB 3080 and SB 1963, spearheaded by Edgar González and Cristina Castro. The proposal sets a 25% iGaming tax, with proceeds supporting gambling oversight and schools.

• December 11, 2024: A VGT businessman has sued the Illinois Gaming Board, accusing it of unconstitutional actions against his company, VVGT. Despite its license expiring in 2022, the IGB fined the company $100,000 and revoked the defunct license, prompting legal action.

• August 14, 2024: Hard Rock closes its temporary casino location in Rockford, Illinois, as the operator plans to open its permanent retail casino, which has been under construction, on August 29.

• July 8, 2024: State Rep. Edgar Gonzalez Jr. says in an interview that he aims to bring out a new gambling bill to legalize online casinos in Illinois in 2025.

Sports betting in neighboring states

Illinois is surrounded by states that follow similar sports betting legislation. The only surrounding state that does not have sports betting is Missouri, as Indiana, Kentucky, and Iowa all offer some form of betting, whether retail, online, or both.

Each state has a varying number of sportsbooks and casinos operating within it. To find more information on each of those locations, select the desired state below.

Sports betting revenue impact on Illinois' economy

Between the population and the large number of operators in the state, it's not surprising that Illinois consistently posts big monthly numbers when it comes to handle, revenue, and tax income. It has not become uncommon to see IL reach over $1 billion in a sports betting handle and over $60 million in monthly revenue, and the same story is estimated to continue in the 2025 calendar year.

The sheer volume of bets the state sees undoubtedly helps when it comes to their tax revenue numbers. Gross gaming revenue has a tax rate of 15% for both retail and online, which is relatively average compared to other states with legalized sports betting. Still, since Illinois has a large population and number of operators, they typically do better than average.

By offering the amount of licenses Illinois does, the state has also made money through sports betting through this avenue. Every state’s licensing rules vary, and Illinois is no different. Online-only licenses have a $20 million fee, and each of them is valid for four years but can be renewed for a fee of $1 million. Retail license fees are based on 5% of the past year's or current year’s handle for that operator. However, the maximum an operator may be asked to pay in fees is $10 million.

Illinois sports betting record months:

• Sports betting handle: November 2024 ($1,532,470,265)

• Revenue: November 2024 ($154,606,065)

• Tax income: January 2025 ($52,525,858)

Latest IL sports betting revenue report breakdown (January 2025)

Reported by the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB).

• Total betting handle: $1,473,948,072

  • Mobile betting handle: $1,437,764,880

  • Retail betting handle: $36,183,192

• Winnings paid to players: $1,326,176,102

  • Hold: 10.03%

• Adjusted (taxable) revenue: $146,835,469

• Tax revenue for the state: $52,525,858 (All-time high!)

What sports did IL bettors wager the most in Jan 2025?

1. Basketball ($425.2m placed bets)

2. Football ($286.9m)

3. Tennis ($104.7m)

4. Soccer ($48.3m)

5. Hockey ($36.9m)

6. Boxing/MMA ($4.8m)

7. Golf ($15.2m)

8. Baseball ($179,593)

9. Motorsports ($46,124)

10. All other sports ($92.9m)

    • Total amount of parlay bets: 452.2m

Top mobile betting apps in the state in January 2025:

1. DraftKings (Casino Queen, Inc.)

   • Handle: $506.6m, Revenue: $47.2m

2. FanDuel (Fairmount Park, Inc.)

   • Handle: $478.1m, Revenue: $62.0m

3. Fanatics Sportsbook (Hawthorne Race Course, Inc.)

   • Handle: $117.5m, Revenue: $8.9m

4. BetRivers (Midwest Gaming & Entertainment, LLC)

   • Handle: $87.8m, Revenue: $7.4m

5. BetMGM (Par-A-Dice Gaming Corporation)

   • Handle: $75.8m, Revenue: $6.5m

6. Caesars Sportsbook (Elgin Riverboat Resort)

   • Handle: $62.8m, Revenue: $4.0m

7. ESPN Bet (HC Aurora, LLC)

   • Handle: $60.4m, Revenue: $5.5m

8. Hard Rock Bet (815 Entertainment)

   • Handle: $33.2m, Revenue: $1.5m

9. Circa Sports (FHR-Illinois LLC)

   • Handle: $15.4m, Revenue: $0

Online sports betting market shares in Illinois - Full 2024 calendar year

Recent revenue report data - Compared to the previous year (YoY)

IL sports betting revenue in 2025

Looking for the latest Illinois sports betting revenue data? Don't worry, we got you covered. The table below shows the monthly betting handle, revenue, and state tax figures, including the change from the previous month (percentage in brackets).

2024 revenue data

Yearly revenue totals

Deep dish or thin crust? Chicago pizza showdowns as prop betting events

In Illinois, where the sports betting handle exceeds $10 billion annually, the addition of novelty markets like Chicago Pizza Showdown Prop Bets could unlock untapped revenue potential. The iconic deep-dish versus thin-crust rivalry is more than a culinary feud; but it’s a cultural cornerstone. By transforming food festivals into bettable events, Illinois could monetize one of its most historical debates.

Bettors could wager on outcomes of either taste contests or eating competitions, all determined through judges’ panels or live counters. These bets could be adopted into existing sportsbooks or offered via mobile apps at culinary events like Pizza City Fest or Chicago Gourmet.

Even if just 0.1% of Illinois’s $10B handle came from pizza-related novelty wagers, that amounts to $10 million in additional wagers annually. At a 15% tax rate, Illinois could collect $1.5 million in fresh tax revenue from one culturally relevant market.

More importantly, these wagers would broaden the betting pool beyond traditional sports betting as they could attract foodies, tourists, and casual festival-goers. If Illinois continues to evolve its regulatory framework to incorporate cultural and entertainment-based markets, the state could unlock tens of millions in long-term taxable revenue.