Illinois Sports Betting – Is Sports Betting Legal In Illinois?

There are nine online sportsbooks operating in Illinois:

• DraftKings Sportsbook: DraftKings is a premier sportsbook with an extensive menu of betting markets and a helpful Parlay Builder tool. It’s partnered with the Chicago Cubs and Chicago Blackhawks.
• FanDuel Sportsbook: FanDuel is one of the most well-known online sportsbooks in the country and is highly regarded for its intuitive interface. It’s partnered with the Chicago Bulls.
• BetMGM Sportsbook: “The King of Sportsbooks” provides a full betting experience with its odds boosts, easy-to-build parlays and depth of betting markets.
• Caesars Sportsbook: Caesars offers dozens of odds boosts every day and makes live betting convenient with its “FireBets” feature. It’s partnered with the Chicago White Sox.
• ESPN BET: ESPN BET debuted in 2023 and has partnerships with ESPN personalities. It offers exclusive daily odds boosts and often rewards existing users with deposit matches and site credit.
• Fanatics Sportsbook: Fanatics launched in 2023 after merging with PointsBet and provides a modern sports betting experience. It updates the home page based on your betting history and features the industry’s best rewards program, providing FanCash for every bet.
• BetRivers Sportsbook: BetRivers was the first online sportsbook to go live in Illinois and has a local flavor compared to bigger sportsbooks. It’s partnered with the Chicago Bears.
• Hard Rock Bet: Hard Rock Bet is associated with Hard Rock Casino and boasts a clean, modern betting app. It launched in Illinois in August 2024.
• Circa Sportsbook: Based in Las Vegas, Circa Sports broke into online betting in 2020 and arrived in Illinois in September 2023. It has a straightforward layout and high betting limits.

The legal sports betting age in Illinois is 21, which is the case for most states with legal sports betting. If you’re under 21 and try to register for a sportsbook in Illinois, you won’t be allowed to sign up.

Sportsbooks confirm your age when you register by verifying your identity with your Social Security Number along with your date of birth, so you won’t be able to create an account if you’re underage.

Illinois has several major professional sports teams, all of which are based in Chicago.

• Chicago Cubs

The Cubs are one of the most well-known and beloved baseball teams in America. A founding member of the National League in 1876, they’ve played at Wrigley Field (MLB’s second-oldest ballpark) on the North Side of Chicago since 1914.

The Cubs famously went 108 years between World Series titles from 1908 to 2016. An estimated five million people attended the team’s victory parade in 2016, making it one of the largest gatherings in human history.

• Chicago White Sox

Chicago’s American League franchise was a charter member of the AL in 1901 and plays on the city’s South Side. It played in Comiskey Park from 1910 to 1990 before moving to U.S. Cellular Field in 1991.

Like the Cubs, the White Sox also endured a prolonged World Series drought, going 88 years between championships from 1917 to 2005. The club was also involved in the infamous “Black Sox” scandal where eight players were banned from MLB for life for conspiring with gamblers to throw the 1919 World Series.

• Chicago Bears

Illinois’ NFL franchise was established in 1920 and has played at Soldier Field since 1924, making it the oldest stadium in the NFL. The Bears hold NFL records for most retired numbers and most players enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. They also rank second in victories behind only the Green Bay Packers.

For all of their history and regular-season success, the Bears have won only one Super Bowl, which came when they beat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX during the 1985 season. They lost their other Super Bowl appearance during the 2006 season to the Indianapolis Colts.

• Chicago Bulls

Founded in 1966, Illinois’ NBA franchise enjoyed nearly all of its success during the 1990s. Led by Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson, arguably the greatest player and coach in NBA history, the Bulls won all six of their championships during the decade with a pair of three-peats (1991 to 1993 and 1996 to 1998).

The Bulls have struggled to replicate that success since Jordan left the franchise after the 1998 title, failing to reach the NBA Finals without him.

• Chicago Blackhawks

The Blackhawks were founded in 1926 as one of the NHL’s “Original Six” franchises. They have won six Stanley Cups, including three in a six-year period from 2010 to 2015.

Since 1995, the Blackhawks have played their home games at the United Center, which they share with the Bulls. The team has struggled recently, failing to win a playoff series since its most recent championship in 2015.

• Chicago Fire FC

Chicago’s MLS team was founded in 1997 and plays at Soldier Field. It won the MLS Cup and U.S. Open Cup in its inaugural season in 1998. The Fire later won the U.S. Open Cup in 2000, 2003 and 2006 as well as the Supporters’ Shield in 2003.

The team’s performance has declined since its initial success, however, as the Fire have struggled to contend over the past two decades.

Illinois is also home to a number of prominent Division I programs. However, if you’re in the state of Illinois, you can’t wager on any in-state teams online. All wagers on Illinois college teams must be placed in person if you’re physically located within the state.

• DePaul Blue Demons

Located in Chicago, the Blue Demons play in the Big East. They do not have a football team but have a well-recognized basketball team that has twice made the Final Four. DePaul was a mainstay in the NCAA Tournament during the 1980s but hasn’t appeared in March Madness since 2004.

• Illinois Fighting Illini

Located in Champaign-Urbana in east-central Illinois, the Fighting Illini play in the Big Ten and have won a number of NCAA championships throughout the years.

The football program was founded in 1890 and has claimed five national titles, most recently in 1951. Illinois has won 15 conference titles and is 8-12 in bowl games, with its most recent bowl victory coming in 2011. The school has produced 17 members of the College Football Hall of Fame and six members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Illinois has had a ton of success on the hardwood with over 1,900 victories – nearly twice as many wins as losses. The Fighting Illini have never won an NCAA Championship but finished runner-up in 2005. They’ve made five Final Fours and 34 NCAA Tournament appearances.

• Loyola Ramblers

Loyola is located in Chicago and plays in the Atlantic 10. The Ramblers haven’t had a football team since 1930, but they won the 1963 National Championship in basketball, beating the University of Cincinnati 60-58 in the title game.

The Ramblers have had intermittent success since then with four Sweet 16 appearances. The closest they got to another championship was reaching the Final Four in 2018.

• Northern Illinois Huskies

NIU is located in DeKalb and plays in the Mid-American Conference.

The Huskies started playing football in 1899 and won the 1963 Division II National Championship. They’ve won six conference championships since joining the MAC and have appeared in 15 bowl games, winning five.

The men’s basketball team has had some success as well with three NCAA Tournament appearances, most recently in 1996.

• Northwestern Wildcats

Located in Evanston, Northwestern plays in the Big Ten and markets itself as “Chicago’s Big Ten Team” given its proximity to the Windy City.

Northwestern has been playing football since 1882 and has claimed eight conference championships, including three Big Ten titles since 1995. The Wildcats have appeared in 17 bowl games, winning seven.

Northwestern has improved on the hardwood recently with all three of its NCAA Tournament appearances coming since 2017. The Wildcats reached the Round of 32 each time.