The Midwest is known for many things, one of which is alove of playing poker. Illinois is no exception to this, as the state has had along history of land-based games, both legal and illegal, over the decades. Onlinepoker was another big success in the state, but with changes in legislation,that part of the industry has faced its challenges.

• Online Real Money Poker Illinois Online
• Online Poker In Illinois
• Online Poker Real Money Usa Legal Illinois
• Can I Play Real Money Poker Online In Illinois
• Illinois Online Gambling Latest News

To bring you up to speed on everything related to pokerin Illinois, we built this page. Our team of experts gives you all the latestnews or regulation and where you can play land-based cash games andtournaments. Our Poker Guide section can help new players as well as those whohave an idea of how to play the game.

Online Poker in Illinois

How Big is Illinois’s Online Poker Market? With 12.8 million residents, Illinois is the fifth-most-populous state. With about 8.6 million people over the age of 21, Illinois’s potential online-poker market sits at about 860,000 (recent market studies suggest about 10 percent of the population played real-money poker before Black Friday). Yes, it is legal to play online poker in Illinois, as long as you know where to play. Online poker has never been illegal on the federal or state level in Illinois. Despite popular belief, there are multiple legal online poker options available for residents of Illinois. Illinois has a more complicated relationship with real cash online poker. In our guide to online poker in Illinois, we’ll explain and analyze the current gambling laws in Illinois, while discussing the poker sites which accept players from the state. We’ll discuss the odds that Illinois lawmakers regulate the Internet poker industry. This review of Illinois online. This online poker casino lets you play poker online for real money. It’s consistently rated as one of the best online poker sites for US players. The reason why it’s rated as one of the best online poker sites US players is due to its various features. Some of the features it has included a 100% casino match bonus that goes up to $1000.

With a rabid poker player base in the state, it is notsurprising that Illinois was one of the states where online poker was the mostpopular when real money poker sites emerged in the 2000s. With so many playersfrom the state playing in real money cash games and tournaments, it was a real joltto many when the online games were stripped from the state (and the wholecountry) in 2011. Since then, players have been not-so-patiently waiting forthe game to come back. The good news is that several states, including nearbyMichigan, have passed comprehensive online gaming bills, including poker inthem. While the sports betting bill that passed in Illinois does not have pokerin the language, it is only an amendment away from being added once the sportsbetting sites are operational.

Land Based Poker in Illinois

Poker players across Illinois are very fortunate to notonly have poker rooms scattered across their own state but several locations onthe border of nearby states like Indiana and Wisconsin. You can check out orpages about those states to get more information on those rooms.

As far as land-based poker in Illinois goes, there is awide range of rooms offering both cash games and tournaments to residents andvisitors to the state. The state has hosted some large poker festivals as wellover the years, with the backing of brands like the World Poker Tour and theWorld Series of Poker.

If you are looking to stay in Illinois and play livepoker, you can choose from any of the following poker rooms:

Central Illinois Charitable Games (Tuscola, IL)
Chicago Charitable Games (La Grange, IL)
Chicagoland Charity Poker (Arlington Heights, IL)
Grand Victoria Casino (Elgin, IL)
Harrah’s Joliet (Joliet, IL)
Harrah’s Metropolis Casino (Metropolis, IL)
Hollywood Casino Aurora (Aurora, IL)
Jumer’s Casino (Rock Island, IL)
Par-a-Dice Casino (East Peoria, IL)
Windy City Poker Championship (Flossmoor, IL)

Social Poker in Illinois

Out of the ashes of the real money, online poker industryin the United States came the advent of social poker. In combination with thegrowth of social networks like Facebook and the displacement of millions ofpoker players in the U.S., social poker sites allowed players to get back to thefelt if only in a play money scenario. These games, which rely on a player’sdesire for recognition instead of winning money, grew to massive heights in theearly 2010s and continue to be very popular today. You can check out ourreviews of these sites to understand why we think they work very well astraining grounds for online poker players in Illinois.

Subscription Poker in Illinois

Illinois residents have another way to get to play onlinepoker that could win them lots of amazing prizes, and that is throughsubscription sites like Club WPT. These sites, which charge players a one-timemonthly membership fee to access dozens of monthly tournaments, fall undersweepstakes laws. While the tournaments don’t award cash, there are still somegreat prizes up for grabs like seats at land-based World Poker Tour events. Thegameplay is very strong, so this is another great way for Illinois pokerplayers to keep their skills sharp without having to leave the house.

Mobile Poker in Illinois

When the real money online poker sites left the U.S. in2011, playing poker from your mobile phone was not a realistic solution. In thedecade since, mobile technology has improved so much that it seems like it’sthe only way to play cards. Phones and tablets have displays large enough to beable to see cards and act easily, and many sites offer multi-tablingfunctionality as well.

While you are waiting for the real money sites to returnto Illinois, you can head to your device’s app store and comb through the playmoney apps that are currently available. These apps will give you a chance toget used to how the game looks on a mobile device, which will put you ahead ofthe curve when the regulated sites finally return to the state.

Online Poker in Illinois FAQ

Is it easy to learn games like Razz and Omaha?

There are so many great poker games out there, and theyall basically work off the same principles, so yes, it is relatively easy tolearn how to play these games. Our Poker Game Guides give you the basis on therules and the gameplay – with that knowledge, you can make your way to a freeplay game and test out the theories for yourself! With so many poker training videos and booksout there, you can definitely learn to play these other games, which we believeare more fun at times that No-Limit Hold’em, which has become somewhatformulaic over the years.

I see some sites being advertised to Illinois playersthat offer real money games. Are they legit?

Technically, that depends on your definition of “legit.” First,there is no law preventing you from playing at an offshore online poker site –you are safe there. It is not legal for these sites to operate in Illinois, butas they all operate from countries like Costa Rica, it is almost impossible tostop them from offering their games. These poker sites have had their fairshare of issues over the years, and the added risk that they could go out ofbusiness without any notice, taking your money with them, should be enough tokeep you away from them as an option for playing real money poker. Stick towhat is available in the state, and if you are traveling to a jurisdictionwhere online poker is legal, then you can jump into some real money actionthere.

Home to the “Windy City” and an eternal favorite of gamblers, Illinois is the base for a multitude of successful online and live tournament poker professionals. Poker seems to be in the state’s blood; President Obama often recalls his late-night games of poker played during his time at the Illinois Statehouse. In the live poker scene, locals have a wide variety of upcoming tournaments in poker clubs and riverboat casinos they can enter. Illinois has a more complicated relationship with real cash online poker.

Online Real Money Poker Illinois Online

In our guide to online poker in Illinois, we’ll explain and analyze the current gambling laws in Illinois, while discussing the poker sites which accept players from the state. We’ll discuss the odds that Illinois lawmakers regulate the Internet poker industry. This review of Illinois online poker laws will analyze whether existing gaming interests in the state support or oppose such laws.

Illinois Online Poker Guide

If you want to play online poker in IL, we suggest that you choose a room from our list below. The poker sites in this list have been chosen because they accept Illinois players, are regulated and – most importantly – have the softest games of all available Illinois online poker rooms. Here are the top legal Illinois online poker rooms

Is Online Poker Legal in Illinois?

Illinois is a state that does face some restrictions when it comes to playing poker online. Some sites that take players from other states don’t accept new players from Illinois. Read Poker Atlas for the latest updates on live poker events at local card clubs and the riverboat casino scene. As for online poker in Illinois, we have you covered.

Thankfully, you don’t have to worry about finding the right site that will allow you to sign up from Illinois; our list of real poker sites in Illinois on this page is comprised exclusively of rooms that take players from Illinois, saving your time for the online poker tables.

Best Online Poker Sites in Illinois for Real Money in 2021

Deposit Limits: $10 – $5,000

Accepts: Visa, Bitcoin, Mastercard, Bank Wire

Ignition is a popular option for players in the United States. They offer most popular cash game variants and more than $1.5 million in weekly online poker tournament guarantees. Ignition also offers Zone Poker, similar to Zoom Poker where you’re moved to a new table and dealt a new hand every time you fold.

Ignition Poker also offer a wide variety of poker promotions.

Join Ignition Poker here and get up to $2000 free!

Deposit Limits: $10 – $5,000

Accepts: Bitcoin, Visa, Bank Wire

Licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, Bovada is one of the oldest online poker sites servicing America. Bovada offers anonymous tables and a mobile-optimized design allowing play on all mobile platforms. The design makes it feel like you’re playing in Las Vegas rather than your home computer.

They offer a wide variety of cash games and tournaments with over $1.5 million in weekly guarantees.

Join Bovada Poker here and get a $500 bonus!

Deposit Limits: $25 – $25,000

Accepts: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Visa, MasterCard, Money Transfers, Bank Wire

Sportsbetting.ag offers a robust online poker option with excellent cash game and tournament action. For cash games, they provide weekly cash leaderboards with $10,000 in prizes weekly. They offer over $45,000 in weekday guarantees, over $130,000 in guarantees on Saturday and over $275,000 in guarantees on Sunday.

If you like fast-fold poker variants like Zoom Poker, you’ll love Boost Poker. Get a new hand every time you fold in this fast-paced game.

Join Sportsbetting.ag – 100% up to $1000 for new US players!

All Poker and Gambling Laws by State

• Illinois was close last year. There was a strong bill championed by State Representative Robert Rita and others, there were hearings, and there was widespread support for the sports betting part of the bill. Online poker and casino games were also included in that gambling expansion bill, along with new

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• December 28th, 2018

  Last year, the attempt to predict which states might join the ranks of those with legalized online poker was not very successful. In fact, only one state actually passed such legislation in 2018, but at the very last minute, on December 28, that state’s governor vetoed the bill. Oh, Michigan!

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• October 18th, 2018

  Illinois was one of only a few states that held open the possibility of legalizing online poker and other casino games in latter part of 2018. The consideration has been part of a larger gambling expansion bill that was and remains on the table for lawmakers this year. While online

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• August 26th, 2018

  While most other states that had considered online poker in 2018 abandoned those ideas earlier in the year, Illinois remained open to it. One lawmaker continues to champion one bill, and its future may depend on a legislative hearing set for October. The process of legalizing online gaming – whether

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• August 2nd, 2018

  Most states that examined online poker in early 2018 have abandoned it for the year, as legislative sessions ended and no plans were made to revisit online gaming at all in the next few months. Illinois, it appears, is not one of those states. There wasn’t much hope placed in

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• May 29th, 2018

  Online poker and gambling became real legislative possibilities for Illinois in 2017. The Senate even passed a bill to legalize and regulate those internet games one year ago, but the companion bill on the House side never garnered enough support to even pass a committee. There has been no word

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Latest Updates Through 2021

Actions in the Illinois legislature in 2017 gave many legal online poker supporters hope that lawmakers were beginning to see the positives of legalizing and regulating online gaming. There was a bill that would’ve done just that for online poker and casino games, which passed the full Senate by a 42-10 vote in May, but the House bill never made it through committee as hearings were cancelled at the last minute.

However, online poker remained on the table going into 2018. State Representative Michael Zalewski’s H.479 was still being pushed, and he was confident that the right mix of gambling expansion projects would be appealing to a majority of lawmakers.

The tide began to turn not long after the United States Supreme Court overturned PASPA, which allowed New Jersey and all other states to address sports betting as they chose. Supporters of online gambling revised SB.7 to add daily fantasy sports and sports betting to the bill, but it happened late in the session and too close to its closing date of May 31.

Senate Bill 7 became a bipartisan bill, with several Republican and Democratic sponsors: Senators Terry Link, Dave Syverson, Mattie Hunter, and Donne Trotter; and Representatives Robert Rita, Rita Mayfield, Chad Hays, and Litesa Wallace. The proposal included articles for the “Fantasy Sports Act,” “Internet Gaming Act,” and “Sports Wagering Act.” Importantly, though, the bill lacked details about tax rates, licensing, and the regulatory framework.

One of those sponsors, Rita, then took an opportunity in the summer of 2018 to announce two hearings to discuss gambling expansion for Illinois. The first was held on August 22 in Chicago, and it was more than four hours of debate featuring members of joint committees. The main topics were new land-based casinos and expanded numbers of video gaming terminals.

The second hearing in early October was held in Springfield and focused heavily on sports betting. Horse racing takes precedence in Illinois and it became clear that there were many issues to be worked out before a solid bill could be drafted and presented to legalize sports betting, but it will be a priority for many lawmakers in 2019. This may mean that SB.0007 could be discarded and rewritten, and it is unclear whether online poker and casino games will be included in a new online gambling bill to be considered in early 2019.

Some speculation was correct for 2019 in that lawmakers were ready to pull together for gambling expansion in the state of Illinois. However, online poker and other forms of internet gambling were not a part of that picture. No matter the intentions of some lawmakers, it did not happen.

In the summer of 2019, a massive gambling expansion bill passed through the legislature after months of negotiations and discussions. Governor J.B. Pritzker signed it into law. It included the legalization of video gaming terminal (VGT) establishments, five new casinos in Illinois, a mega-casino in Chicago, a new racetrack, slot machines and table games in racetracks (making them racinos), and sports betting.

There will be 16 retail sportsbooks in the state and three online sportsbooks for Illinois. Casinos, racetracks, and stadiums may begin applying for sports betting licenses in December 2019. Sports betting went live in land-based establishments and online in March 2020.

The future for online poker and internet slot and table games remains unknown. The inability to include online gambling into the omnibus bill was disappointing, and it is not known if there will be an opportunity to legalize those online games in 2021.

Illinois Law and Online Poker

So where does Illinois stand when it comes to the law and online poker? The state does address the issue of online gambling directly in its law, so let’s talk a bit more about that part of the Illinois statute and a few other aspects that should be of interest to the typical online poker player.

First, what constitutes gambling in Illinois? The law is pretty clear; gambling occurs when someone

Online Poker In Illinois

“plays a game of chance or skill for money or other thing of value” (Section 28-1).

The only exceptions are state-approved forms of gambling.

Violation of that section as a player is a class A misdemeanor (Section 28-1(c)). Illinois does not have a history of aggressively pursuing mere participants in illegal gambling.

What does Illinois law have to say about online gambling? It is illegal if someone plays poker online?

“knowingly establishes, maintains, or operates an internet site that permits a person to play a game of chance or skill for money or other thing of value by means of the internet or to make a wager upon the result of any game, contest, political nomination, appointment, or election by means of the internet” (Section 28-1(12)).”

Nothing in the section (or in any other part of Illinois law) appears to directly address the act of participating on such “internet sites” as a mere player.

What you’re left with is a situation that, to some degree, lacks legal clarity. However, that should not be mistaken as a blanket endorsement that all online gambling activity is explicitly legal. In such cases of uncertainty, players should start by reviewing the laws of Illinois personally, and then continue by consulting a lawyer if questions persist.

Online Poker Real Money Usa Legal Illinois

Illinois Gambling Guide

Most accounts of Illinois history assign gambling an early and prominent role in the story of the state. Whether through the lotteries of early settlers, the famous riverboat gambling ships that cruised Illinois waters during the 1800s or the ubiquitous, ever-present gambling halls of Chicago, you’d be hard-pressed to pick a point in the Illinois timeline that didn’t involve gambling in some way, shape or form.

Today’s gambling industry in Illinois is a result of nearly forty years of legislative shifts toward gambling expansion, one that began in 1974 with the authorization of the state lottery. Online poker legislation is an extension of those legislative trends, but like many states with a substantial land-based gambling industry, the existing interests complicate iGaming bills.

What Gambling is Regulated in Illinois?

Most popular forms of regulated gambling are permitted under Illinois law. In addition to the state lottery and the multiple casinos spread across the state, there is also legal pari-mutuel wagering in Illinois and a wide slate of charitable gambling formats.

Illinois has vastly expanded its gambling offerings in recent years, most extensively with a massive gambling expansion bill in 2019.

There had been more than 32,561 video gaming terminals (VGTs) in Illinois, and more were installed when the new law was implemented in 2020 with the creation of full VGT establishments. There were also 10 casinos in the state, but that was expanded this year to allow for five new casinos to be built and a mega-casino/resort in the city of Chicago. And on top of the three-horse racing tracks in Illinois already, an additional one was approved in 2019. Racetracks will also be able to expand to become racinos and offer up to 1,200 casino games, including slots and table games.

Online lottery games have been available for some time, but sports betting will now be available online. In 2021, there will be three online sportsbooks to complement the 16 retail sportsbooks. In addition, there will be 2,500 sports betting lottery kiosks permitted throughout the state.

IL Online Poker and Gambling Facts: Objective Sources

ICGA . The Illinois Casino Gaming Association is a trade group representing the interests of many of Illinois’ casinos. The group’s site provides useful research material for those interested in the Illinois gambling industry.

Can I Play Real Money Poker Online In Illinois

Illinois Gaming Board. The official site for the state gaming board is the definitive resource for legal and regulatory information concerning gambling in Illinois. Get information on meetings, measures, help with problem gambling and self-exclusion along with a wealth of statistical information at the IGB website.

Illinois Online Gambling Latest News

ICPG The online home for the Illinois Council on Problem Gambling is a central location providing access to a 24-hour helpline, speakers, and resources for educators, families and players. The ICPG is opposed to poker laws that expand and regulate the industry.

Famous Illinois Poker Players

There are actually a number of points at which the history of poker and the history of Illinois intersect. One example is the story of James Butler Hickok, better known as “Wild Bill.” It was Hickok’s death that gave a name to the now-famous “dead mans hand” – two pair, aces and eights, said to be held by the lawman when he was shot during a poker game.

Another example comes in the colorful tale of Nick “The Greek” Dandolos, who called Chicago home for much of his life. Dandolos was part of the mythic (and much debated) match up with Johnny Moss that is often cited as the template for the World Series of Poker. A final, and more modern, illustration of the shared history between poker and Illinois is author and poker player Jim McManus, who lives in the state.

The plethora of live poker rooms in Illinois have allowed poker players to flourish in Illinois through the years. Even so, many of the state’s most famous players garnered most of their experience online.

Almost all of the top live tournament earners in Illinois were famous first for their online play, like Connor Drinan, Mohsin Charania, Gavin Griffin, and Kevin Saul. Their online poker earnings are not even included in the numbers below, which goes to show how well most of them crossed over from online to live play.

The top-ranked players from Illinois, as of 2019, are as follows:

1. Connor Drinan ($11.3 million)
2. Mohsin Charania ($6.2 million)
3. Gavin Griffin ($5.1 million)
4. Ryan Tosoc ($4.8 million)
5. Aaron Massey ($4.1 million)
6. Jason Wheeler ($4 million)
7. Ravi Raghavan ($4 million)
8. Kevin Saul ($3.7 million)
9. Chris Moor ($3.6 million)
10. Kyle Julius ($3.5 million)

Sources & Citations For This Article on Illinois Online Poker