Sports betting, when enjoyed responsibly, is one of the most popular pastimes in the state of Illinois. The problem is that most residents are unaware whether they can even enjoy the hobby legally. It’s a complicated situation riddled by a lot of vague or even downright false information. This page was written to help Illinois residents reach a clear and fuller understanding of the laws that affect their ability to legally bet on sports as well as help them find some of the best legal sports betting sites that accept Illinois players for doing so.
Even the harshest skeptic may be pleasantly surprised at what the law in Illinois may allow.
The most important thing to understand about the federal laws governing sports betting like the Federal Wire Act and the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) is that despite all the scare language within the law, they are not intended to punish otherwise honest citizens who merely bet on sports. In fact, Congress even wrote these exemptions into all of these policies. Rather than players, these laws were written and passed to target large organized crime syndicates, not players. Therefore, in the eyes of the Federal Law, while the facilitation of sports betting for profit is a highly criminal act, it’s legal to place a bet.
Of course, aside from Federal policy, Illinois residents have a set of state laws to contend with as well. In an effort to discourage patronage of criminal operations, Illinois prosecutes those who bet on sports on land, but does not regulate sports betting online. This leaves bettors in the clear to play with Illinois sports betting sites. The law is used to bevy charges against career criminals rather than honest residents.
The short of all the legalese governing sports betting in Illinois is that as long as residents avoid taking part in bookmaking and end their relationship with sports betting as mere participants, they will be completely safe from prosecution, in a sense legal .
Read More: Is It Legal To Gamble Online In Illinois?
Of course, since its illegal for anyone to facilitate sports betting, prospective bettors may be wondering what could possibly make an online sportsbook legal for Illinois residents. The key is not legalese, its geography. All these sportsbooks for Illinois players are located offshore, well outside of US jurisdiction. This makes them legal businesses.
The benefits for betting with a legal business are twofold. First, since these are legal operations, members need never worry about a law enforcement agency shutting them down. Second, since these are legal enterprises, they have access to top of the line software when it comes to financial security. This makes payouts efficient, secure, and best of all, fast!
When selecting a legal online sportsbook, outside of safety, the other things to consider are ease of use, reliable financial security, and best of all, fun factor. All the Illinois sports betting sites we list on this page excel in these categories and more.
When you need access to the world’s premiere name in sports betting, you need to navigate your browser over to Bovada.lv. After serving US residents for over 20 years, Bovada has turned themselves into the most trusted name in sports betting, slowly but surely. While many Johnny-come-lately sports betting sites have felt the need to attract new players using gimmicks and tricky flash animation, these legal online sportsbook for Illinois players has maintained a strong profile and reputation by simply being a rock for excellent customer service and a high quality product.
The best part about your Bovada membership is the ability to take your sportsbook everywhere. Thanks to their expertly designed mobile site, you can turn anywhere in the world into a fully functioning sportsbook. Thanks to this sportsbook, you can place a bet, manage your account, and even request a payout from anywhere in the world with a solid phone signal. As basketball fans may say, swish!
Sometimes the best way to find the best product is to simplify your thought process. This has brought many prospective bettors to the doorstep of sportsbetting.ag, and we’re sure these players are glad that it did. No online sportsbook offers the sheer number of options that this network does, and the ways to bet are numerous. You can parlay round robin, reverse, tease or please any number of betting lines and propositions, all from the comfort of your own home and with no fear of any legal troubles. What can be better than that?
If you’re still not convinced, there’s no need to take our word for it. Why not see for yourself for free using the fantastic sign up bonus at this sports betting site for Illinois residents? When you sign up and make your initial deposit, you will find that not only did your money make it to your account unharmed, but also receive a huge SportsBetting signup bonus that added 75% of your deposit to your account in the form of free bonus money. Using this promotion, you can collect up to $1000. The best part is that this is not merely a sign up bonus, but that you may collect this bonus on every deposit you make throughout the life of your account. This deal will can have you placing free bets for decades – don’t miss out!
| Sportsbook | Bonus | Illinois Welcome? | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bovada Sportsbook | 100% Up To $250 First Deposit | Yes | Visit |
| SportsBetting | 75% MatchUp To $1,000 | Yes | Visit |
| BetOnline Sportsbook | $2,500 On All Deposits - 50% | Yes | Visit |
| 5Dimes Sportsbook | 50% Up To $520 | Yes | Visit |
Unfortunately, there are no legal options for land based sports betting in the state of Illinois, and therefore no brick and mortar facilities are recommended for Illinois bettors. Even though both state and federal laws prevent players from facing any legal prosecution, the act of betting with an illegal enterprise is incredibly unsafe, not only for players personally, but for their hard-earned money.
Since these are illicit enterprises in Illinois, all the money you put into them is insecure. Not only could the law come along and seize it at any time, but also by nature, criminal enterprises are notoriously unreliable. Fortunately, all the online sportsbooks that accept Illinois players listed on this page should provide an excellent outlet for sports betting
It’s very easy for Illinois players to place bets within the parameters of the law, however, one key exception could keep residents from enjoying sports betting free of legal issues: betting underage. The legal age for online betting in the state is 21, and it is highly recommended that all residents wait until they are of age to do so. Failure to comply will certainly result in a steep legal fine, and could even lead to jail time as well as a seizure of all funds related to betting – even including winnings that have yet to pay out.
The cities of Chicago and everywhere else in Illinois love their sports betting. It’s fortunate than that enjoying the hobby legally can be accomplished so easily, and from the comfort of home. While the lack of any land based sports betting is unfortunate, the high quality of legal Illinois gambling options listed on this page should help players put that inconvenient fact behind them. Remember that sports betting should always be fun, so as long as Illinois players enjoy their hobby responsibly, they should be able to enjoy it with ease.