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Home bettingillinois
1 year ago

ILLINOIS SPORTS BETTING: BEST SPORTSBOOKS AND PROMO OFFERS

Sportsgrid-Staff

Sportsgrid-Staff

Betting on sports in Illinois yet? If you’ve been thinking about it, now just might be the time to jump in, with a mix of reliable bookmakers and generous promotional offers available in the state. We’ve taken a look into the state’s best sportsbooks as well as their promo offers. Don’t worry, we’ll be including all the promotional codes you’ll need to redeem the offer when you make an account.

This will be your go-to guide to help you decide which sportsbook is best for you. Be sure to check out our Illinois Sports Betting Apps and Illinois Promo/Bonus Pages for some more insights into both. You’ll also be able to find more details, such as recent updates and offers.

List of Online Sports Betting sites in IL

Below, you will find Illinois’ most popular platforms to bet on, highlighting their new customer promotional offers. At the top of the list, BetMGM is offering bonus bets to new users, which is sure to give you plenty of opportunity to get familiar with the platform while using bonus funds.

Top-Rated Illinois Sportsbook Sites

Here we will expand on Illinois’ most popular sportsbooks where we provide some more insight into each. All of the noted platforms have distinctive features that set each one apart from the other. Read on to discover promotional offers, mobile platform features, as well as the IL-based partnerships for each sportsbook. Take all of the above into consideration when deciding the sportsbook that best suits you.

BetMGM Sportsbook in IL

BetMGM, a well-established name in the space of online betting and sportsbooks, is available in most states with legal sports betting. It has got a great interface on both Android and IOS platforms for your convenience.

After pairing up with a local establishment in East Peoria, Par-A-Dice Casino, BetMGM has gained market access in Illinois. BetMGM’s mobile application comes with a live streaming feature and an interface that is fairly simple to navigate. Illinois bettors can use a variety of secure payment modes that the sportsbook platform offers.

DraftKings Sportsbook in IL

DraftKings Sportsbook sets itself apart as a premier option for Illinois sports bettor, leading the way with new features such as the Same Game Parlay and one of the widest range of sports betting markets. Since getting their sports betting licenses in Illinois in 2019, DraftKings quickly gained market share, building off of their success with theirr DFS product in the state. 

The DFS mobile app is one of the most highly rated in both the Google Play and Apple App Store, as all the same great features from their desktop site is available within the mobile app. DraftKings Sportsbook in Illinois has a partnership with one of the state’s most beloved teams, the Chicago Cubs. In their collaboration, bettors can take part in exclusive promotions and offers that are available to fans across the state, including within the stadium. 

FanDuel Sportsbook in IL

FanDuel Sportsbook in Illinois secured a license at the same time as DraftKings in 2019. Also initially a DFS platform, FanDuel has gone into the sports betting world and hasn’t looked back, offering one of the best mobile sportsbooks in the state. Users in Illinois can even watch live sports directly on the FanDuel Sportsbook app. 

FanDuel Sportsbook in IL has a partnership with the Chicago Bulls, as an official partner of the team. As a result, FanDuel Sportsbook in IL offers exclusive promotions to the Bulls, including odds boosts. FanDuel branding is located throughout the United Center. 

Legality of Sports Betting in Illinois?

As one of the first states in the country to legalize sports betting following the overturning of PASPA in 2018, Illinois legalized the industry in 2019. The first sportsbooks to open their (virtual) doors included FanDuel and DraftKings, as a host of sportsbooks went live at the start of 2019 offering both physical sportsbooks and online betting. 

In the state, the Illinois Gaming Board oversees all gambling, including sports betting activities, which includes rules around regulations and responsible gaming. Initially, sports bettors had to visit a brick-and-mortar location to register for new sportsbook accounts, but that all changed in January 2022. 

At that time, new legislation went into effect, allowing the remote registration for new sportsbook accounts, no longer requiring residents to visit a physical casino. This change accelerated the use of mobile sports betting in Illinois, instantly making Illinois one of the hotbeds for sports betting in the country. 

One specific note to the legality of sports betting in Illinois is that betting on in-state college programs is prohibited. That means that fans who wish to bet on teams such as Loyola Chicago, can not do so within state lines legally. 

Legal & Authorized Sportsbooks in Illinois 

Since legislation passed for legal and authorized sportsbooks in Illinois, the Illinois Gaming Board has continued to steadily approve sportsbooks who wish to operate in the state. Let’s take a closer look at the full list of legal and authorized sportsbooks in Illinois, including when they were licensed, the sportsbook provider, and the welcome offer. 

 

Sportsbook 

Mobile App 

Year Licensed 

Sportsbook Provider 

Bonus Bets 

Welcome Bonus (in Bonus Bets 

Claim it!

BetMGM 

Android / iOS 

2022 

BetMGM 

Yes 

$1,500 

Claim it here

DraftKings 

Android / iOS 

2019 

DraftKings Inc. 

Yes 

$150 

Claim it here

Caesars Sportsbook 

Android / iOS 

2022 

Caesars Entertainment 

Yes 

$1,000 

Claim it here!

Fanatics Sportsbook  

Android / iOS 

2024 

Fanatics Holdings Inc.  

Yes 

$1,000 

Claim it here!

ESPN BET 

Android / iOS 

2023 

PENN Entertainment 

Yes 

$1,000 

 

FanDuel 

Android / iOS 

2019 

Flutter Entertainment 

Yes 

$250

Claim it here!

BetRivers 

Android / iOS 

2020 

Rush Street Interactive 

Yes 

$500 

 

Circa Sportsbook 

Android / iOS 

2023 

Bally’s Corporation 

No 

$0 

 

 

How to use the mobile to place a bet in Illinois

When it comes to Illinois sports betting, more and more customers are turning to their mobile devices to get in on the action. Let’s take a closer look at how to use the mobile to place a bet in Illinois. 

  1. Download the Sportsbook App: First off, you will need to download the Illinois Sportsbook of your choice’s mobile app from Google Play or Apple App Stores. You can directly access them from the links noted above. 
  2. Create an Account: In the upper right-hand corner of the app, click on the “Sign Up” or “Join Now” button. From here, you will have to enter some personal information such as first and last name, email address, username, password, and other relevant personal data.
  3. Claim Your Bonus: With your account now set up, claim the welcome offer currently available. See the table above for what to expect.
  4. Make a Deposit: Choose one of the more than a dozen payment options available and make your initial deposit. Keep in mind any minimum deposit requirements that will be noted in the terms and conditions. 
  5. Place a Bet: Navigate to the sport of your choice and find the wager that you are most interested in to start your betting experience. 

Available Betting Markets in IL

There is no shortage of markets now up and running in Illinois. Let’s take a closer look at the available betting markets in IL as of 2025. 

  • NFL (National Football League)
  • NBA (National Basketball Association)
  • MLB (Major League Baseball)
  • NHL (National Hockey League)
  • MLS (Major League Soccer)
  • College Football
  • College Basketball
  • Golf (PGA Tour, Major Tournaments)
  • Tennis (ATP, WTA Tours, Grand Slams)
  • Boxing
  • UFC/MMA
  • Auto Racing (NASCAR, Formula 1)
  • Soccer (EPL, La Liga, Bundesliga, Champions League)
  • Cricket
  • Rugby
  • Darts
  • Table Tennis
  • Australian Rules Football 

Top Illinois Team’s odds

Below is a table of the Illinois professional sports team and their current odds to win their championships. Take a look at the latest betting info on the Chicago Bulls, Chicago Bears, Chicago Blackhawks, Chicago Cubs, and Chicago White Sox. 

Banking and Payment Options available in Illinois

As regulated with oversight by the Illinois Gaming Board, there are a number of banking and payment options available in the state. All of the following options are accessible and secure, where offered.

Deposits:

  • Credit/Debit Cards (Visa, Mastercard, Discover)
  • Bank Transfers (ACH/eCheck)
  • PayPal
  • Venmo
  • Skrill
  • PayNearMe
  • Play+ Prepaid Card
  • Wire Transfer
  • Cash at Casino Cage
  • Apple Pay (at certain sportsbooks) 

Withdrawals:

  • Bank Transfers (ACH/eCheck)
  • PayPal
  • Venmo
  • Skrill
  • Play+ Prepaid Card
  • Cash at Casino Cage
  • Wire Transfer
  • Check by Mail 

IL Mobile Sports Betting

Since sports bettors in Illinois began being able to register for sportsbook accounts remotely in 2022, IL mobile sports betting has taken off in popularity. As with mobile sports betting in all states, the only requirement (other than being 21 years old) is that you must physically be within state lines when placing your bet. Mobile sportsbook apps in Illinois use geolocation to ensure that you meet that requirement, and the use of VPNs is strictly prohibited. 

All of the legal online sportsbooks in IL have free mobile apps on both Android and iOS devices, offering all the same great features they do on their desktop sites. Other features include live streaming of games, real-time updating of odds, early cashout features, and more. 

For detailed guides on the best sports betting apps currently operating in Illinois, take a look at our Illinois Sports Betting Apps.

Legal U.S. sports betting states

These are the states where sports betting is legal in the U.S.:

Best odds and betting tips

SportsGrid is a worldwide leader for getting the latest information on betting odds, knowledge of the industry, and expert tips across a multitude of different sports leagues. The best way to make better bets is to be more informed, which SportsGrid provides by giving you the latest news, game picks, live-betting news, and sports betting strategies from a team of experts. 

 Check out the news, tips, and picks on the main site of SportsGrid.