Illinois Online Casinos are not on the market yet, but we have faith that legal changes will lead to online casino gaming for residents of the Prairie State.
The tide is changing, and new laws regarding IL sports betting might indicate that online casino games could come soon. At the very least, Illinois online horse betting is alive and well!
Illinois Gambling Laws
It has been a bit of a legal struggle getting legal online sports betting in Illinois, but lawmakers note that their neighboring states have already enacted more broad legislation for gambling. The phrase “leaving money on the table” comes to mind, and lawmakers responded by signing in Senate Bill 690.
What SB 690 allows for a casino to be built in the Chicago metro area. Also, it expands the allowed number of games at existing casinos. Plus, it legalizes online sports betting for Illinois residents. The bill is expected to bring in up to $700 million in revenue and licensing fees in the first year alone.
What this means for the future of online casino games is that it’s only a matter of time before lawmakers notice the possible revenue stream from offering Illinois online poker and other casino games. Casinos and operators all across Illinois are already preparing online sports betting apps, so we expect Illinois operators to have no trouble adding legal online poker and more.
Taking cues from other states, most online sportsbooks simply hire game developers to place online casino games onto their existing online platforms. That means, when lawmakers finally do see that legal online poker and casinos do more good than harm, it’ll be relatively easy to implement real money casino apps.
Best IL Online Casinos
If you’re looking to play casino online in Illinois, you’re going to have to wait. Try writing your state senators about the good that revenue from online casinos has done in other states.
As we’ve stated above, SB 690 is a good indicator that this Illinois general assembly feels relatively open to Illinois online poker and other online gambling sites. They’ve already legalized online sports wagering and expanded the existing casinos in the Prairie State.
We’re also seeing existing racetracks get the go-ahead to add casino games to their locations, as well as Mayor Lightfoot agreeing to allow casinos near Chicago. Overall, the opinion of Illinois lawmakers seems to be favorable regarding online gambling sites, so we expect things to change as soon as lawmakers see the benefit of SB 690 come to fruition. Look forward to online poker Illinois, with games coming soon!
Other States Have Licensed Online Casinos
Although IL doesn’t have any online casinos playable for real money, that’s not the case in some other states.
The East Coast has been quick to incorporate this type of gaming into the landscape after the repeal of PASPA. New Jersey online casinos already existed at the time of the repeal and Pennsylvania casinos have quickly adapted to online.
Possible Future Illinois Gambling Sites
Illinois has a number of fantastic casinos. Plus, the expanded provisions of SB 690 mean that these destinations are going to offer even more! SB 690 allows for up to 2,000 gaming positions (table and slot games) per casino, which is 800 more games for you to choose from! Expect your favorite online slots and online casino games to follow once SB 690 starts bringing money into Illinois.
List of Illinois Casinos
- Argosy
- Casino Queen
- Grand Victoria
- Harrah’s Joliet
- Harrah’s Metropolis
- Hollywood Aurora
- Hollywood Joliet
- Jumers
- Par-A-Dice
- Rivers Casino
Online Poker Illinois
Sweepstakes poker in Illinois is technically allowed due to legal loopholes. However, the operators offering sweepstakes poker are not US-based operators. This means we cannot recommend the safety or security of their platform. Also, we’ve seen gamblers get in legal trouble for taking advantage of loopholes in the past.
IL Casino Apps
Some of these casinos may offer sports betting apps in the near future. As we’ve seen with other states, if one form of betting goes well, there’s a good chance of legalizing others. We hope this is the case for Illinois online casinos.
We’re expecting the first casinos to release online casino games to be Rivers, Harrah’s locations, and Hollywood Casino. This is because all three of these have parent companies offering the chance to play casino online in other states.
Casinos near Chicago have less of a chance of opening an online casino soon, simply because they’re so new. Still, you may soon be able to get online and play your favorite casino games. When online casino games finally go live in Illinois, check back with us. We always have the latest in Illinois online casinos.