Illinois Gambling Laws & Online Poker in Illinois

Illinois still doesn’t have any online poker legislation in place.  However, changes have been discussed and there could be something definitive within a couple of years.

Type/Code Summary
State Code Section(s) 230.ICLS.5-40; 720.ICLS.5.28
Definition of Gambling & Player Person Commits Gambling:Knowingly plays a game of chance or skill for money or other thing of value; or 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.
Online Poker/Gambling Multiple attempts to legalize online poker and internet gaming have happened in the last decade, but the most recent pieces of legislation came close to passage. The 2017 bill for online poker was paired with casino expansion and passed the Senate but not the House. There is talk of an omnibus bill that will include online gambling with other forms of gambling expansion in 2018 or 2019.
Live Poker Live poker is permitted in all of the casinos in Illinois, and the poker rooms offer cash games and tournaments.
Casinos The Riverboat Gambling Act permitted 10 fully-functional casinos to be established on riverboats, though the strict rules have been eased somewhat. There have been proposals to establish more casinos in Illinois, most recently via bills in 2017 and 2018. Lawmakers have come surprisingly close to expanding the number of casinos in the state.
Sports Betting A bill to legalize sports betting in Illinois casinos was introduced in 2018 and is still pending..
DFS 2017 proposal for daily fantasy sports carried over into 2018 and remains open for consideration, possibly as a part of a larger gambling expansion bill going forward.
Other Forms of Gambling Horse racing, pari-mutuel betting, bingo, raffles, pull-tabs, charitable gambling, poker runs, jar games, Native American gaming, video gaming terminals.

Can Players from Illinois Play Online Poker?

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