Best Illinois Sportsbooks

Sports betting in Illinois is legal, largely thanks to the technical revolution in the decades after the 1980s. It paved the way for online sports betting sites on growing in popularity in the United States, especially in the early 2000s. Many states in the USA have passed laws that legalize sports betting, with various restrictions on which teams can gamble and the legal age for betting.

When it comes to Illinois, the state legalized online sports betting in 2020, and as a result, Illinois has a fantastic selection of real money sportsbooks available. Here, in our guide, you will learn to choose the best one for you. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about online sportsbooks in Illinois. Included within our list of sites are a number of reputable offshore sportsbooks.

Online Sportsbooks in Illinois

There are several types of sports betting available through sportsbooks in Illinois, and it is possible to place bets on them. Our list of the best sportsbooks in Illinois features the opportunity to bet on the following:

• NBA Sportsbooks
• NHL Sportsbooks
• MLB Sportsbooks
• NFL Sportsbooks
• Tennis Sportsbooks
• UFC Sportsbooks
• Boxing Sportsbooks
• Soccer Sportsbooks
• Golf Sportsbooks
• NCAA Sportsbooks
• March Madness Sportsbooks
• Esports Sportsbooks

Sports betting is legal in Illinois, and licensed bookmakers organize it. If you want to become a user of an online bookmaker, we recommend you read the rights and conditions of use beforehand. One of the most important things you need to know is the payment and withdrawal method of funds if your bet wins.

Bookmakers tempt new players with bonuses, free bets and other offers to bet, deciding what you can invest your money in. Therefore, before you start betting with a specific bookmaker, check the offer out correctly and whether it meets your needs. 

Please note that the bookmaker also sets odds. The essence of the odds is the value with which you multiply the money you invested, and the product of that multiplication is your profit. 

Popular Betting Markets

Betting markets vary from bookmaker to bookmaker, with some having a wide range of games, while others can be limited. Here are some most popular.

Moneyline

Moneyline, or betting on the outcome, is the most common and most straightforward game as you bet on who will win at the end of the match. There are three possible outcomes – home wins (1), guest wins (2), and draw (X).

Total Bet

Total is an option to bet on how many goals there will be after 90 minutes in a football match. The most common betting offer is over / under with a limit of 2.5. Most bookmakers mark it with 0-2 and 3+. There are more significant limits and games limited to the first or second half. 

There are also combo types that include the outcome and goals, for example, that the host will win and that there will be three or more goals in the game – 1 & 3 +.

Betting on Players

With this type of bet, the players are the main focus. For example, in a soccer match, you can bet on which player will score, who will score the first goal of the match, whether they will score a goal two or three times, or even receive a yellow or red card. You can also bet on basketball players, football players, etc.

These are just some of the games in circulation that you can find in most of our recommended bookmakers. The highest-ranked bookmakers have a diverse offer and as many games as possible to interest users to bet with them and stay as long as possible.

Parlays

Parlays or accumulators are among the most popular forms of sports betting because you can get big payouts for small stakes. Multiple final results on one wager are called parlays, combos, or accumulators.

Most players like to take risks, which is why they try to guess a large number of game outcomes. Parlay is a bet in which you bet on four or more games. As the number of combinations increases, the probability that you will win all the matches on the ticket decreases. If you are betting on a small stake, why not give it a try?

Live Betting

Live betting is a relatively new way of gambling. It is only possible to play when the event starts and lasts until it is over. In this case, you have games only available for this type of betting, such as who will score the next goal, receive the next yellow card, and the like.

As the name suggests, it’s real-time betting while the event lasts. Bookmakers offer to bet on watching events. Live betting is with a change in odds in real-time, depending on what is happening on the field. There are plenty of live betting options, so it’s up to you to choose what you want to play. Options and odds vary depending on the type of sport.

Live betting is not much different from other types of betting, except that you are limited in time and have to react per minute often and per second to place your bet on time. You will find out whether your bet is winning or losing very quickly and the latest after the game.

How to Open an Account in an Online Sportsbook?

If you want to start betting online, the first thing you need to do is open an account and register. This process is free and easy. The only condition you should meet is that you are of legal age. In Illinois, it is 21 years. To register, you need to enter basic information. Then, in most cases, you will receive an email in which you need to confirm the information you provided during registration.

The only thing left for your bet to succeed is the funds to appear in your account. Some bookmakers will require you to provide additional information such as your passport or ID card number, telephone confirmation, or similar. All bookmakers offer different ways to deposit and withdraw funds. We will describe the methods available to help you find your way.

How to Deposit and Withdraw at Illinois Online Sportsbooks?

As we have already said, there are several ways to make an online deposit and withdrawal, and we will provide some more details below.

Skrill

Skrill is an online account (e-wallet) that is secure and is one of the most common solutions for online betting. Skrill is a recommendation for you because it offers excellent money transfers. With this account, you can pay and receive money and buy online. To send someone money, you need to enter the email address of the recipient and the amount you are sending. Many bookmakers and casinos (almost all) support Skrill transferring money.

Payments and withdrawals to your betting account via Skrill are instant, and there is no need to wait for any payment process. It also offers the option to have an insight into the total amount regardless of whether you have accounts in multiple bookmakers. Therefore, you can have accounts in several bookmakers and play by comparing odds that suit you best. Most large bookmakers do not charge a commission for money transfers. We have the best Skrill betting sites that you can access.

Neteller

Neteller is similar to Skrill and is also reliable and easy to use. To send money to someone, you need to enter the email address and the amount you want to send. Almost all significant bookmakers support payment through Neteller. You can make a payment to Neteller via payment cards (MasterCard, VISA) or by bank transfer, and even bitcoins. The fee for payment by payment card is from 1.9 to 4.95%, and for bitcoin, 1%. You can also find the best Neteller sportsbooks here.

Bank Transfer and Credit/Debit Cards

Bank transfers and cards are another way to make a deposit or withdraw. You must have a bank account to make a bank transfer. Before depositing money in an online bookmaker, you must enter the following information – address, name, bank, SWIFT, or IBAN code. You will receive this information from the bookmaker when you choose to make your payment this way, and you need to submit it to the bank to make the deposit or withdrawal. The same is with credit/debit cards. You must have one, and the most common among bookmakers are Visa or MasterCard.

Cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrency has become a popular method of completing deposits/withdrawals at offshore sportsbooks. In particular, Bitcoin has been pushed by a number of betting sites. You can find the best Bitcoin betting sites and the best crypto betting sites with us. Expect crypto payment options to push their way into the mainstream in the near future.

Customer Support

With sports betting, time is often of the essence. Players often get a  “tip” about a last-minute bet event that they want to place a bet on. The best online bookmakers invest a lot of time and resources in developing their websites and related user interfaces to make them including their user-friendliness, making it easier, faster, and more accessible for users to navigate their website.

You need to be able to quickly and easily find and go through the registration and verification process to successfully transfer any winnings to the user’s bank account. In case of any problem, your chosen bookmaker should refer to customer support to help your situation quickly and efficiently resolve late.

Conclusion

Every player has their preferences, and one bookmaker does not necessarily have to be the best for everyone – it all depends on the sport on which we want to place a bet. Still, we make sure that the important aspects are in place before we recommend a bookmaker to you. 

The goal is to find online bookmakers that are reliable and tested, as well as cover what you personally want when betting on sports. Whether this is your safety and security or the payment methods you prefer, it is essential to look at how each bookmaker performs and looks after its customers, which we have done for all our featured sportsbooks. 

Many players are concerned about the timing and deposit/withdrawal methods as well as the question of how complicated or straightforward the process itself is. The best online bookmakers which made our list allow their customers to transfer money carefree through various online services such as virtual bank accounts, debit and credit card payments, online banking payments, and cryptocurrencies. 

If you follow everything we have shown you, as well as checking out the sportsbooks we’ve recommended on our list, we are confident you’ll have the knowledge and ability to detect a reliable bookmaker yourself. We hope you enjoy your future sports betting with your newfound knowledge!

FAQ Section

Is Online Betting Legal in Illinois?

Yes, online sports betting is legal in Illinois.

Where Can I Bet on Sports in Illinois?

You can bet at every licensed and registered bookmaker within the state. You can find the list of the best Illinois sportsbooks on our site.

Are There any Requirements for Illinois Sports Betting?

Yes, there are some limitations regarding online sports betting in Illinois. You must be 21 years old or over in order to place a bet on sports betting as well as be physically present in an Illinois casino. Only betting on sports is legal in Illinois.

Is Online Betting Safe?

Many have understandable concerns about paying money online and want to ensure it is safe. Betting is safe if you use honest bookmakers and casinos. Therefore, we recommend only bookmakers we know are safe, verified, and reliable when preparing our reviews.