Illinois licenses its online sportsbooks through the Illinois Gaming Board, and each one is tied to a casino, racetrack or sports venue in the state. That’s why you’ll see names like Casino Queen, Fairmount Park and Hard Rock Rockford next to the apps below.
You need to be 21 or older and physically in Illinois to bet. Online casino games aren’t legal in the state, so every app here is sportsbook-only.
Below is the full list of online sportsbooks licensed by the Gaming Board, the venues that run retail-only books, and how the apps compare on App Store ratings.
How we list and rank sportsbooks
We start from the state regulator’s own list of licensed online sportsbooks, so every brand on this page is legal where it’s listed. We then order the apps by popularity: how many people have rated each one on the US App Store, alongside its average score. “Top” on Locals Insider means the most popular and most used apps, not a paid placement.
Offers only appear for brands we work with, and every term comes from the operator’s own rules. If we can’t confirm a detail on an official page, it doesn’t go in.
Is online sports betting legal in Illinois? Yes, through sportsbooks licensed by the Illinois Gaming Board.
- Minimum age: 21
- Licensed online sportsbooks: 10
- Retail-only licensees: 4
- Online casino: Not legal in Illinois
- Where you can bet: Only while physically inside Illinois; apps check your location before every bet.
Licensed Online Sportsbooks in Illinois (10)
These are the 10 online sportsbooks licensed by the Illinois Gaming Board, ordered by how many people use and rate each app. In brackets is the Illinois venue each one is partnered with.
FanDuel Sportsbook IL – same-game parlays and live betting
Licensed through: Fairmount Park
FanDuel’s Illinois license runs through Fairmount Park, the racetrack in Collinsville near St. Louis. It’s the most-rated sportsbook app in the US, with more than 2.3 million ratings at 4.84.
In Illinois, the app shows sports betting only.
DraftKings Sportsbook IL – daily odds boosts and same-game parlays
Licensed through: Casino Queen
DraftKings partners with Casino Queen in East St. Louis for its Illinois license. Its app averages 4.82 from about 1.37 million ratings.
Chicago-area bettors near the Indiana line should note that Indiana runs its own licenses, so the app switches when you cross over.
Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook IL – Unity by Hard Rock rewards
Licensed through: Hard Rock Casino Rockford
Hard Rock Bet is licensed through Hard Rock Casino Rockford, in northern Illinois. Its app has the highest average on this list, 4.86 from about 363,000 ratings.
New Illinois customers get 10 × 100% Profit Boost Tokens through our link, with no promo code needed.
bet365 Sportsbook IL – sharp odds and in-play betting
Licensed through: Walker’s Bluff
bet365 operates in Illinois through Walker’s Bluff, a casino resort in Carterville in southern Illinois. Its app averages 4.78 from about 361,000 ratings.
It’s the same global brand you’ll see in the UK, with a US app built for state rules.
Fanatics Sportsbook IL – FanCash rewards on your bets
Licensed through: Argosy Casino Alton
Fanatics Sportsbook partners with Argosy Casino Alton for its online license, and it’s also tied to a retail book at Hawthorne Race Course. The app averages 4.83 from nearly 296,000 ratings.
BetMGM Sportsbook IL – MGM Rewards and deep player props
Licensed through: Par-A-Dice Casino
BetMGM’s Illinois license comes through Par-A-Dice in East Peoria. The app averages 4.75 from more than 261,000 ratings and links to MGM Rewards.
theScore Bet Sportsbook IL – a simple app tied to theScore
Licensed through: Hollywood Casino Aurora
theScore Bet, owned by PENN Entertainment, operates through Hollywood Casino Aurora in the western suburbs of Chicago. It averages 4.83 from about 224,000 ratings.
Caesars Sportsbook IL – Caesars Rewards on every bet
Licensed through: Grand Victoria Casino
Caesars Sportsbook partners with Grand Victoria Casino in Elgin. Its app averages 4.74 from about 117,000 ratings and links to Caesars Rewards.
BetRivers Sportsbook IL – iRush Rewards and steady boosts
Licensed through: Rivers Casino Des Plaines
BetRivers is the online book of Rivers Casino Des Plaines, next to O’Hare. Its app averages 4.85 from about 53,000 ratings, which makes it a handy option if you’re flying in or out of Chicago.
Circa Sports IL – a Las Vegas book known for sharp lines
Licensed through: American Place
Circa Sports, the Las Vegas sportsbook brand, is licensed in Illinois through American Place in Waukegan. Its Illinois app is new and rates 1.91 from only 94 ratings so far, so expect a much smaller, simpler product than the national apps.
Retail-Only Sportsbooks in Illinois
Four Illinois licensees take sports bets in person only, with no app of their own: Bally Bet at Bally’s Quad Cities, Fanatics at Hawthorne Race Course, Hollywood Casino Joliet and Wind Creek Chicago Southland. You can bet at the counter or kiosks there, but you can’t use them online.
Illinois Sportsbook Apps Compared
| App | Licensed through | Online casino (same brand) | iOS rating (ratings) |
|---|---|---|---|
| FanDuel | Fairmount Park | No (not legal in Illinois) | 4.84 (2,315,931) |
| DraftKings | Casino Queen | No (not legal in Illinois) | 4.82 (1,369,715) |
| Hard Rock Bet | Hard Rock Rockford | No (not legal in Illinois) | 4.86 (363,024) |
| bet365 | Walker’s Bluff | No (not legal in Illinois) | 4.78 (360,739) |
| Fanatics | Argosy Casino Alton | No (not legal in Illinois) | 4.83 (295,868) |
| BetMGM | Par-A-Dice | No (not legal in Illinois) | 4.75 (261,271) |
| theScore Bet | Hollywood Casino Aurora | No (not legal in Illinois) | 4.83 (224,319) |
| Caesars | Grand Victoria | No (not legal in Illinois) | 4.74 (117,111) |
| BetRivers | Rivers Des Plaines | No (not legal in Illinois) | 4.85 (53,216) |
| Circa Sports | American Place | No (not legal in Illinois) | 1.91 (94) |
Ratings are US App Store averages and rating counts, checked November 2026. All 10 licensed Illinois online sportsbooks have a checked US App Store rating.
Illinois Sportsbook Promo Codes
Offers for Locals Insider readers. We list offers only for brands we work with; other licensed sportsbooks run their own welcome offers, which you’ll see in their apps.
Hard Rock Bet · Sports betting
10 × 100% Profit Boost Tokens
Terms: 21+, new customers only, physically located in AZ, FL, IL, IN, OH, TN or VA. $5 minimum deposit; $50 maximum bet per token. Applied when you sign up through our link. T&Cs apply. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-MY-RESET.
21+. New customers only. Must be physically located in Illinois. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-MY-RESET.
How to Sign Up at a Illinois Sportsbook
- Check the brand is licensed. Use the list above or the Illinois Gaming Board website, and skip any app that isn’t on it.
- Download the official app. Get it from the App Store or Google Play, or sign up on the operator’s site, while you’re in Illinois.
- Verify your identity. You’ll enter your legal name, date of birth, address and the last digits of your Social Security number, and you must be 21 or older.
- Turn on location services. The app confirms you’re physically inside Illinois before every bet, even if you live there.
- Set your limits, then deposit. Add deposit and time limits first, then fund the account with a card, bank transfer or another method the app accepts.
Illinois Sports Betting at a Glance
Illinois is the second-largest sports betting market in the US by handle, according to the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB 2025 annual report). Sportsbooks reported $109.2 million in adjusted gross receipts for February 2026 (IGB minutes). Since July 2025 operators also pay a per-wager tax, 50 cents a bet once they pass 20 million wagers in a fiscal year (IGB), and a 2025 rule bans funding betting accounts with a credit card.
Recent Changes in Illinois
theScore Bet, the former ESPN Bet, now takes bets in Illinois under its new name.
Betting on Chicago Teams
Chicago carries Illinois betting: the Bears, Cubs and White Sox, Bulls, Blackhawks, Sky and Chicago Fire.
Illinois Taxes on Sportsbook Winnings
Winnings are taxable income. A sportsbook withholds 24% for federal tax when a payout, minus your stake, is more than $5,000 and at least 300 times the wager, and reports it on Form W-2G (IRS). From 2026 you can deduct only 90% of your gambling losses, and only if you itemize, capped at what you won (IRS Form W-2G).
Illinois taxes winnings at its flat 4.95% income tax rate. Sportsbooks withhold 4.95% from winnings paid to Illinois residents whenever federal withholding applies (Illinois Department of Revenue).
This is general information, not tax advice; a tax professional can look at your own situation.
Tips for Betting in Illinois
- Mind the state lines around Chicago and St. Louis. Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa and Missouri each have their own rules. Your app re-checks your location, so a bet from across the river isn’t an Illinois bet.
- O’Hare counts as Illinois. If you’re waiting on a flight, you’re in Illinois and can bet with any licensed app here.
- Expect sportsbook-only apps. Online casino isn’t legal in Illinois, so the casino tab you see in New Jersey or Michigan won’t appear.
- Check the Gaming Board list. If an app isn’t licensed by the Illinois Gaming Board, it isn’t legal in the state, however polished its ads look.
Illinois Sportsbooks FAQ
Ten: FanDuel, DraftKings, Hard Rock Bet, bet365, Fanatics, BetMGM, theScore Bet, Caesars, BetRivers and Circa Sports. Four more licensees run retail-only sportsbooks.
Illinois licenses online sports wagering through its casinos, racetracks and sports venues, so each app operates in partnership with one of them.
No. Illinois allows online sports betting but not online casino games.
Yes. New customers who sign up through our link get 10 × 100% Profit Boost Tokens, with a $50 maximum bet per token and no promo code needed.
Yes, as long as you’re 21 or older and physically in Illinois when you place the bet.
Bet with a plan. Set deposit and time limits before your first bet, and never chase losses; every licensed sportsbook offers cool-off periods and self-exclusion. Gambling problem? Call or text 1-800-MY-RESET, the National Council on Problem Gambling helpline.
More Sportsbook Guides
- US sportsbooks hub: every state page, offers and reviews
- Sports betting apps compared: how the national apps stack up
- Other states: New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, North Carolina, Michigan, New Jersey, Virginia, Arizona, Tennessee
- Prediction markets: event trading under federal rules
