This page was published to help Illinois residents understand the laws that govern their ability to regularly enjoy online poker, as well as potentially find some great legal online poker rooms for Illinois residents through which they may do so. We hope that all Illinois residents who read this page top to bottom will walk away with a thorough understanding of the law, as well as what to expect and look for in a legal poker site. We hope that everyone who plays poker online does so with an intimate knowledge of how it works, and this page was just one more step in our quest to ensuring that happens.
The most important thing to understand about all the scary language in not only federal policies governing online poker like the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) but state policies in Illinois is that poker players are not the target. Despite all the scare tactics and intimidating language found in the legal books, there are no laws against otherwise honest citizens playing a game of poker.
Where the confusion tends to stem from is that while residents will not get in trouble for playing poker online or in a brick and mortar facility, the facilitation of poker is highly criminalized. This means than anyone who operates a poker game for profit without a license from the state of Illinois faces steep legal penalties, including imprisonment and serious fines.
The last question then is how the websites that we recommend may operate legally for Illinois residents. The answer, fortunately, doesn’t come from a law book, but from an atlas. All legal poker sites that accept Illinois residents are located offshore, far away from US jurisdiction. This means that, under the laws of their native countries, these are legally operating businesses that Illinois residents may play with legally.
Read More: Is It Legal To Gamble Online In Illinois?
When looking for a good site to play online poker, Illinois residents want to be careful to meet a couple select criteria. Firstly, they will always want to be sure that their site is safe. This does not simply mean just that the site is legal, but that they have a verified history of paying their users out in a fair and timely manner. After all, cleaning up in the poker room doesn’t do players any good if they can’t collect their winnings.
Once a player is sure the poker site they are looking at is both legal and safe, they will want to ensure the poker software installs and runs smoothly and, perhaps most importantly, that the site is fun to use. The Illinois poker sites we indexed on this page pass all these tests with excellence and should make a lovely home for any poker fans in Illinois.
When it comes to legal online poker, few places in the world are better destinations than the aptly named BetOnline. Through innovative poker software, BetOnline has made themselves available to the top players all over the world. As major sponsors of the World Series of Poker, this legal online poker room has learned how to cater to poker players from the very best in the business. Whether you’re looking for a high stakes hold ‘em tournament or a quick game of seven card stud played for pennies on the dollar, you’re in luck with BetOnline.
If you’re even considering an account with this Illinois poker site, there’s no better time to look than right now. For a limited time, when you sign up with BetOnline you can qualify for a bonus that will match your initial deposit up to 200%. Needless to say, this is a huge gain for a bankroll that’s just starting out, and can give you some much-needed ammunition to hit the tables with confidence.
Although legal online poker rooms for Illinois residents are the most popular option for most players in that state, there are a few places to take advantage of legal cards in person, as well. Although they are not numerous, there are a few casinos scattered throughout Illinois that house poker rooms, including a branch of Harrah’s located in Metropolis. In these facilities, players may take part in large tournaments for cash prizes or simply play a few hands for cash on the table. Although no one will confuse Illinois for a legal gambling hub, the poker rooms they offer are open generous hours and provide a great variety of games for Illinois players.
Still, the scant availability of these poker rooms has forced most Illinois residents to turn to the internet for most of their poker wants and needs. It’s a good thing that so many high quality online poker rooms accepting Illinois residents are still in business.
The message of this entire webpage is that it’s actually easy to legally play poker in the state of Illinois, there is really only one set of circumstances that could make it otherwise. If an Illinois resident wants to play poker free from any legal interference, the one thing that they must avoid above all else is playing poker underage. In Illinois, all players must be over 21 in order to join in gambling that's legal in Illinois, whether online or on land. Violators will face not only steep legal fines, but potential jail time as well.
There are many options and venues when it comes to legal poker for Illinois residents. Although there are a select few land based options in the state, most players overwhelmingly turn to the internet when it comes time to play cards for big money. Using the tools on this site, it should be possible for any new players to pick up the game and begin playing without giving a second thought to their personal safety or vulnerability to the law.