Illinois sports betting has been legal since June 2019, with the first retail sportsbooks opening in March 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the online sports betting market, which launched in June 2020. IL lawmakers ditched the in-person registration requirement for the duration of the pandemic, officially dropping that law in March 2022.
Since then, the Land of Lincoln has become one of the biggest and most profitable sports betting markets in the United States. The Prairie State is also one of the most proactive in introducing new sports betting regulations. Lawmakers implemented a ban on types of college sports betting in 2024, and the Legislature passed a new sports betting tax rate.
Keep reading below to learn more about these changes and everything else that happened to the Illinois sports betting market in 2024.
Illinois Sports Betting: 2024 Highlights
Feb. 21: Governor J.B. Pritzker proposed a plan to more than double the Illinois state tax on sports betting revenue.
April 13: Sports Betting Alliance sportsbooks operating in Illinois (BetMGM, DraftKings, Fanatics, and FanDuel) launched a campaign to mobile Illinois sports bettors against the state’s planned sports betting tax increase.
May 5: Representative Dan Didech and 25 co-sponsors introduced the Family Amusement Wagering Prohibition Act, prohibiting amusement businesses like Dave & Busters from facilitating or advertising wagering on its amusement games.
June 5: Governor J.B. Pritzker signed the Illinois state budget for the fiscal year 2025 into law. The 2025 budget included a new progressive tax rate for Illinois sportsbooks of 20%-40% depending on the sportsbook’s revenue.
July 1: Online sportsbooks were officially banned from taking wagers on in-state college sports teams. However, the law still permits bettors to visit retail sportsbooks and bet on teams like the Illinois Fighting Illini. The state already had a strict college sports betting market, with bans on college bets before July 1.
Aug. 26: Hard Rock Bet officially launched in Illinois to become the ninth legal Illinois sports betting site. The company also opened a retail sports betting location at the Hard Rock Casino in Rockford.
Dec. 9: The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability reported that the Illinois sports betting industry generated a record $2.08 billion in revenue for the state tax office. This represents a 4.8% year-on-year increase compared to 2023.
Sports Betting: Where Things Stand
The Illinois Legislature has increased tax rates and tinkered with some specific rules, but Illinois sports betting is legal and here to stay.
However, prop bets on college games are prohibited. And betting on in-state colleges is only allowed at a retail sportsbook. Politics and esports betting are also off-limits at Illinois sportsbooks.
Illinois lawmakers have made 26 sports betting licenses available to any company wanting to launch a sportsbook in Illinois. In 2024, the Illinois Gaming Board has issued only a portion of those licenses. Here are the sportsbooks currently available in Illinois:
- BetMGM
- BetRivers
- Caesars Sportsbook
- Circa Sports
- DraftKings
- ESPN BET
- Fanatics Sportsbook
- FanDuel
- Hard Rock Bet
Illinois Sports Betting: What's Next?
The Illinois sports betting tax rate will increase massively in 2025 based on legislation approved in 2024, from 15% to 20% to 40%, depending on sportsbook revenue. Additionally, Bally Bet is moving forward with its plans to construct a casino in Chicago, and it could use the license from this property to launch Bally Bet Sportsbook.
Next year, federal law might change, affecting the Illinois sports betting market. Lawmakers in Washington D.C. introduced the SAFE Bet Act in September 2024. If passed in 2025, Illinois sports betting sites would be required to limit the amount players can wager and how often they can place bets.
Illinois Sports Betting: Notes and Quotes
Governor J.B. Pritzker, talking about raising the sports betting tax rate in February:
“I wish we had big surpluses to work with this year to take on every one of the very real challenges we face.”
FanDuel CEO Amy Howe on Illinois’ planned sports betting tax increase:
“Our government affairs teams do a really good job of trying to educate the regulators on how to get that balance right, because at the end of the day, the revenue to the state is really important.”
Marlon Goldstein, Executive Managing Director & CEO for Hard Rock Digital, on Hard Rock Bet’s Illinois launch in August:
“We’re thrilled to be delivering the unique Hard Rock Bet mobile experience to players throughout Illinois on our award-winning app and in-person at the new Sportsbook at the amazing Hard Rock Casino Rockford.”
