Illinois Sports Betting Top Sites for Betting
The Illinois sports betting industry has a diverse range of options for online bettors. Offshore sportsbooks offer an alternative to regulated in-state sites that restrict college betting. With our recommendations, you can keep betting on the Fighting Illini. We’ll also highlight the top bonuses and promotions available to Illinois bettors.
We’ll also cover regulations and laws that impact in-state gambling.
Illinois Legal Summary – Quick Overview
Top Online Betting Sites Available in Illinois
Here are seven of the top IL sports betting sites located outside the Prairie State that still welcome local players:
- BetUS — Best Overall Sportsbook for Illinois
- MyBookie — Best for VIP Betting
- BetOnline — Best for Live Betting
- Bovada — Top IL NCAA Sports Betting Site
- SportsBetting.ag — Best for Early Lines
- Everygame — Best for Payment Options
- BetNow — Best Sportsbook Rebate Program
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Best Overall Sportsbook for Illinois: BetUS
If you’re looking to bet in Illinois, BetUS is our top recommendation. This sportsbook offers extensive betting lines on major teams like the Bulls and White Sox and college sports teams like the Huskies and Wildcats.
BetUS is the place for sports betting tips and analysis via BetUS TV and its Locker Room blog. See why bettors are backing the Cubs for the World Series or the Chicago Fire to win the MLS Cup.
New BetUS players get 125% matched on their first three deposits up to $3,125. Note that there’s a $100 minimum deposit required to trigger the deal.
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Best for VIP Betting: MyBookie
If you’re one of the thousands of IL high rollers, then MyBookie VIP+ is the loyalty program for you. Get 24/7 VIP support, exclusive perks, monthly cashback, higher bet limits, and more deposit options.
The MyBookie VIP+ program is by invitation only, but new players can get a head start by maximizing their sports welcome bonus. You get 50% matched up to $1000 on your first deposit, plus a free $10 casino chip.
MyBookie also recently upgraded its sportsbook, which now runs ultra-efficiently on mobile and desktop. Go big on golf, tennis, and UFC betting with dime lines as standard.
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Best for Live Betting: BetOnline
BetOnline’s live betting lobby is unrivaled in the online sportsbook industry. The site is ultra-responsive and designed for quick-time bets. You can instantly jump on fresh odds and form parlay bets without problems.
The bet slip features Teaser and If Bet tabs that let you combine two or more selections from the same sport and maximize your chances of winning. You can also click the Multi-View tab and add four live games to your screen at once.
Sign up to BetOnline to trigger a 50% sports welcome bonus of up to $1,000. Apply the promo code BET1000 and deposit at least $55.
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Top IL NCAA Sports Betting Site: Bovada
Bovada is the king of NCAA sports betting. Illinois doesn’t allow college sports betting across state-regulated sportsbooks. This decision means that offshore sites like Bovada are your best option.
Get hundreds of lines year-round on college football and basketball games. Follow NCAA I teams like the Huskies, Fighting Illini, and Illinois State, or go deeper with NCAA II bets and minor league teams.
Join Bovada today and get a 50% welcome bonus up to $250. This deal is perfect for low-risk players due to its ultra-low 5x wagering requirement and $20 minimum deposit.
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Best for Early Lines: SportsBetting.ag
SportsBetting.ag goes big on offering bet lines way before anyone else. The site’s recent upgrade allows players to access multiple lines, sometimes weeks in advance. This pledge means SportsBetting.ag is the ideal location for totals bettors on the NBA and NFL.
The site also makes creating your own bets easy. Access the Props Builder, Sane Day Parlays, and Mega Parlays sections via the sidebar and craft your dream wager. The site also uses vast data software to help generate high-odds parlays for you.
New players at SportsBetting.ag get 100% matched up to $500 on their first two deposits when using the promo code DOUBLEUP.
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Best for Payment Options: Everygame
From credit cards to crypto to e-wallets, Everygame has an industry-leading range of quality payment options. There are no deposit transaction costs, and crypto withdrawals are lightning-quick. The sportsbook itself is fully equipped for fast-paced players. There’s a slick live betting lobby with easy links to in-play games. You can use the Hottest Bets tab to make quick wagers.
Everygame players get a 50% welcome offer of up to $200 with an 8x turnover. Use WELCOME200 when completing your initial deposit.
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Best Sportsbook Rebate Program: BetNow
BetNow’s Rebate Program is the best in the business. Bettors get a weekly 2% reimbursement on all sportsbook losses and a 10% horse rebate.
BetNow is also the home of betting contests. Chase big wins in the $25,000 weekly MLB Grand Slam Contest. Win $10,000 when handicapping in the NFL King of the Hill Contest, or chase $1,000,000 during March Madness.
Join for a 150% welcome offer up to $225 when depositing with MoneyGram, Zelle, or bank card. Just select the BN150 promo code. You can also get 20% extra when you deposit again.
How We Choose the Best Illinois Sportsbooks
Our expert reviewers carefully review each sportsbook before recommending a betting site for Illinois. A big part of this process is ensuring sites are secure, safe, and work on mobile.
Here are the criteria we use for every review:
Availability in Illinois
We look for sites that are available in the Prairie State. Sites must accept users anywhere in the state, whether you’re betting in a bar in downtown Chicago or hiking through Shawnee National Forest.
Illinois Sports Coverage
We champion sites like BetUS that cover the small teams in Illinois as much as the big ones. Standard sportsbooks offer odds on the White Sox, Cubs, and Bulls. Only the best cover minor league teams like the Bloomington Bison and Chicago Wolves or college teams like the Northwestern Wildcats.
Safety and Security
High-level security is a must. We check sites for TLC encryption and 256-bit Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology. Sportsbooks must also display their player safety policies and operate anti-fraud and money-laundering systems.
Bonuses and Promotions
We don’t just tell you about the available Illinois sportsbook promotions. We assess whether they’re worth your time. For example, Bovada gives new players a 50% bonus of up to $250 and plenty of promos for existing customers.
Customer Support
We champion sites offering two or more of the following customer support options: live chat, 24/7 phone line, email, postal address, or social media. We also test each site’s customer service operators to ensure they are helpful to players.
Payout Experience
We assess sportsbooks to see if their payout speeds meet our requirements. We also check their withdrawal processes for bank transfers, crypto, checks, etc., to ensure they’re secure.
Is Sports Gambling Legal in Illinois?
The Illinois Sports Wagering Act (230 ILCS 45) passed June 28, 2019. It guarantees that betting on sports in Illinois is legal, both online and in-person, at retail sportsbooks. As part of the process, Illinois repealed its classification of gambling as an illegal activity. The Illinois Gaming Board regulates the industry.
You can also use offshore sportsbooks to bet on sports and lines that aren’t available on state-regulated sites.
You can also bet on horse racing in Illinois and gamble at one of the state’s six casinos or 10 riverboat casinos.
Illinois imposes a 15% gross revenue tax on all sports betting operations. However, that could rise to as high as 40% for the biggest operators. Residents must declare gambling winnings as income.
Illinois Sports Betting Timeline
Betting on Illinois Sports Teams
Here are the major sports teams in Illinois. You can bet on all these teams, as well as college sports teams that offshore sportsbooks provide odds for, too:
Basketball
- Chicago Bulls — NBA
- Chicago Sky — WNBA
- Chicago State Cougars — NCAA I
- Bradley Braves — NCAA I
- Illinois State Redbirds — NCAA I
- Northern Illinois Huskies — NCAA I
- Northwestern Wildcats — NCAA I
- Illinois Fighting Illini — NCAA I
Baseball
- Chicago Cubs — MLB
- Chicago White Sox — MLB
- Gateway Grizzlies — Minor League
- Peoria Chiefs — Minor League
- Bradley Braves — NCAA I
- Illinois State Redbirds — NCAA I
- Northern Illinois Huskies — NCAA I
- Illinois Fighting Illini — NCAA I
Football
- Chicago Bears — NFL
- Northern Illinois Huskies — NCAA I
- Illinois Fighting Illini — NCAA I
- Northwestern Wildcats — NCAA I
Hockey
- Chicago Blackhawks — NFL
- Chicago Wolves — AHL
- Rockford IceHogs — AHL
Soccer
- Chicago Fire FC — MLS
- Chicago Red Stars — NWSL
- Chicago Fire FC II — MLS Next Pro
Popular Sports Betting Events in Illinois
Illinois is renowned for its baseball, basketball, and football teams. There are also other major sports events to look out for each year:
White Sox –– The Twins
The rivalry between the Chicago White Sox and the Minnesota Twins goes back decades. They play in the AL Central division and face each other many times each season. You can bet on White Sox games throughout the MLB season at BetUS.
Illinois 300 and Grant Park 165
NASCAR goes big in Illinois. The Illinois 300 runs at Gateway Motorsports Park in Madison, Illinois, during the NASCAR Cup Series. A few weeks later, Chicago’s Street Circuit hosts the Grant Park 165 each year. Follow both races when you bet on NASCAR at BetNow.
Illinois Derby
Hawthorne Race Course in Stickney, Illinois, hosts the $200,000 Illinois Derby each April. The race was relaunched in 2024 as a prep race for the Preakness Stakes. Bettors can follow all the action at top racebooks like Bovada.
Chicago Marathon
The Chicago Marathon is one of the world’s top marathon courses and runs every September. Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum set the marathon world record of 2:00:35 at the Chicago Marathon in 2023. You can bet on athletics from across the state at Everygame.
Retail Sports Betting in Illinois
Illinois legalized retail sports betting in 2019, and there are plenty of places to bet in-person across the state. What’s more, Illinois has a thriving riverboat casino industry offering sports betting. Here are the top seven sportsbooks in Illinois.
| Sportsbook | City | Address | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caesars Sportsbook | Metropolis | Harrah’s Metropolis, 100 East Front Street Metropolis, IL 62960 | Dedicated sportsbook pit, food and drink service, +40 screens |
| Caesars Sportsbook | Elgin | Grand Victoria Casino, 250 S. Grove Avenue Elgin, IL 60120 | Live betting, expanded multiscreen zone |
| Hawthorne Race Course | Stickney | 3501 South Laramie Ave Stickney, IL 60804 | Horse and sports betting, self-service kiosks, jumbo projections, high limit station |
| Hollywood Casino Joliet | Joilet | 777 Hollywood Blvd, Joliet, IL 60436, United States | 14 kiosks, wide range of props, in-play betting |
| DraftKings at Casino Queen | St Louis | DraftKings at Casino Queen 200 Front Street East St. Louis, Illinois 62201 | 38 betting kiosks, 60+ Foot Video Wall, Real Time LIVE Odds Boards, watch parties |
| Argosy Casino Alton | Alton | 1 Piasa St, Alton, IL 62002 | 36 HDTVs, individual viewing stations, Bet Builder QR tool |
| Penalty Box Sportsbook | Aurora | 1 W New York St, Aurora, IL 60506 | Riverboat sportsbook, 10x 75” HDTVs, recliner seats, extensive parlays |
How To Bet Online in Illinois
If you’re looking to begin your Illinois sports betting journey, it’s easy to get started. We’ll cover the various betting options available to Illinois bettors, from in-state to offshore sportsbooks and retail betting.
Here are the steps you need to take:
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Explore our top Illinois sportsbooks recommended above and pick a site that matches your betting style.
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Click on the button from our review to navigate to the correct sign-up page. Then, follow the steps to create a profile. You’ll need to enter your personal details, create a password and username, and pass any ID verification checks.
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Your sportsbook may take you to the cashier page, where you can select a deposit method and charge your account. Choose from card payments, phone payments, and wire transfers, or use a site like BetNow to deposit in Bitcoin. Remember to hit the minimum deposit level required to trigger your welcome deal.
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Your sportsbook will let you choose your bonus when depositing via a drop-down box or by entering a promo code. If you don’t have either of these options, then make your deposit and contact your sportsbook via the live chat operator to request your bonus.
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Once your account is active and charged with funds, it’s time to select your first bet. Use the top tabs or the sidebar of your sportsbook to find the game, event, or race you plan to bet on. Click on your chosen odds to add the bet to your slip.
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Finally, it’s time to place your bet. Check your bet slip again, and be sure you’re happy with your choice. Then, enter your stake in the bet slip and check how much you stand to win. Once you’re happy, hit “Place Bet” to complete the process.
Responsible Gambling in Illinois
We encourage you to gamble responsibly and consider online betting as a form of entertainment, not a source of income. Set loss limits and time limits, and don’t bet more than you’re comfortable losing.
Here are some resources to help you, or someone you care about, gamble responsibly and get help:
Illinois Responsible Gambling Resources
Sports betting in Illinois is a fun way to enjoy a game and potentially win some money. It shouldn’t be treated as income unless you are a serious pro. The Sports Geek advises all players to gamble responsibly and seek help from these IL resources if they’re struggling:
National Council on Problem Gambling: Illinois
- PHONE: 1-800-GAMBLER
- TEXT: 800GAM
- LIVE CHAT: 1800gamblerchat.org
Illinois Council on Problem Gambling
- PHONE: 1-800-333-HOPE (4673)
- TEXT: “GAMB” TO 833234
- NEWSLETTER: Sign up at the website
- PHONE: (909) 931-9056
- LOCATIONS: See website for locations from Arlington to Evanston.
GamAnon Chicago (For Families)
- PHONE: 1-708-802-0105
Latest IL Sports Betting News
Click below to check out The Sports Geek’s latest news, tips, and sports betting strategies.
Illinois Sports Betting — Key Takeaways
Illinois sports betting is thriving thanks to all the different ways to wager. Bettors in Illinois can bet at regulated and offshore sportsbooks, retail casinos, and riverboats. You can watch and bet in-play with friends.
Recent changes to Illinois’ college betting laws mean offshore sites are now the best way for players to broaden their bet choices. You can do everything from betting on the White Sox and Bulls to wagering on NCAA games at sites like BetUS and Bovada.
You’re ready to bet!
