Illinois legalized sports betting on June 28, 2019, with mobile betting launching a year later. Currently, there are ten legal sportsbook apps available for Illinois residents who must be at least 21 years old to bet. The article highlights specific features and benefits of several popular sportsbooks like FanDuel, BetMGM, bet365, and Fanatics Sportsbook, including their user interfaces, betting options, and customer service offerings.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-07,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Sports betting became legal in Illinois on June 28, 2019, when Governor J.B. Pritzker signed the Illinois Sports Wagering Act into law. Mobile sports betting started operating from June 28, 2020. The Illinois Gaming Board regulates this activity and requires bettors to be at least 21 years old. Currently, there are ten legal sportsbook apps available for users in Illinois.
Among these options, FanDuel Sportsbook stands out with its pre-made bets and profit boost offers. However, the site has faced criticism: during a game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and New England Patriots on Week 3 of 2026, when Trevor Lawrence did not score despite reaching the one-yard line, FanDuel voided all bets related to this play-off moment.
FanDuel also features its FanCash rewards system, which allows users to accumulate points for every wager placed. These points can then be used to make additional bonus bets or to purchase team merchandise from the affiliated website Fanatics.com.
Written for “Illinois Sports Betting” on 2026-10-07,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Illinois sports betting has been live since June 28, 2020, when the Illinois Gaming Board licensed its first online operators.
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Board → license → operators
Bettors in the state can now choose from 10 legal sportsbook apps.
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Bettors → choose → apps
Yes, sports betting is legal in Illinois and has been since June 2020, when mobile sports betting launched.
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betting → launch → June
It is regulated by the Illinois Gaming Board, and bettors must be 21 or older.
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bettors → regulate → Board
Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the Illinois Sports Wagering Act into law on June 28, 2019.
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Pritzker → sign → June
This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners.
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If you sign up or place a wager, FOX News may be compensated.
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This content was created by a team that works independently from the FOX newsroom.
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Best Illinois Sportsbooks and Betting Apps
Illinois has a wide variety of sports betting apps, and choosing which you like best can be a fun experiment.
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There is no limit to the number of apps you can use, so feel free to download as many as you’d like and try all of them.
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We’ve provided a few highlights for each and some things you might want to be on the lookout for.
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FanDuel Sportsbook Illinois
- FanDuel Sportsbook provides users with pre-made bets and profit boost bets as soon as you log in.
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you → provide → bets
- The bet builder on FanDuel Sportsbook is one of the best in the industry, with quick odds displayed and plenty of options for playing your wager.
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builder → display → wager
- The player prop market on FanDuel is one of the best in the industry and often has better odds than competitors.
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market → have → competitors
- Withdrawals are simple, quick, and easy on FanDuel, getting money to you in a hurry.
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- There are reports that winning bettors are quickly limited by FanDuel.
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bettors → be → FanDuel
- If you want competitive odds, BetMGM is one of the best in the business and offers great lines for all the major sports.
- You can customize your interface so that you can see your favorite teams and sports when using BetMGM Sportsbook.
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you → want → Sportsbook
- Edit My Bet is a feature from BetMGM that allows you to swap or add legs to an active wager.
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you → edit → wager
- The in-game and live betting offered by BetMGM is one of the better in the industry.
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- If you’re starting to have a streak of winning wagers, BetMGM will often give you less appealing promotions or provide them less often.
bet365 Sportsbook Illinois
- The international market is a prime spot to find great lines and games, and bet365 provides some of the best coverage of any sportsbook.
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bet365 → start → sportsbook
- The early payout promotion from bet365 gives you a cash out if your team goes up before the game is over.
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game → give → out
- You can often use bonus bets from bet365 in various amounts instead of set bonus bet tokens like other apps.
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You → use → apps
Fanatics Sportsbook Illinois
- Fanatics Sportsbook is built with a mobile-first identity, and therefore is one of the best interfaces in the industry.
- If a player is injured early in the game, the bet is typically voided by Fanatics Sportsbook.
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bet → build → Sportsbook
- When something odd happens, Fanatics will often void the bet for all users, such as when Trevor Lawrence downed the ball at the 1-yard line instead of scoring with eight minutes to go in the Jaguars vs. Patriots, Week 3, 2026 game.
- The FanCash rewards system allows you to gain points for every wager, and then use that to make bonus bets or purchase team apparel from Fanatics.com
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It is a mobile-only app, so if you prefer using a desktop version, Fanatics Sportsbook is not the sportsbook for you.
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theScore Bet Illinois
- Backed by PENN Rewards, theScore Bet gives you points for every wager that can be used on perks at PENN Casino properties.
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- theScore Bet offers users frequent odds boosts for users to use, and reduced lines on certain spreads.
- There are some really exciting options for live betting and in-play coverage from theScore Bet.
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- theScore Bet offers a nice rewards program, but it can be difficult to accumulate points and move up tiers.
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Hard Rock Bet provides one of the best sports betting mobile apps in the industry with fast load times and quick navigation.
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- The Unity Rewards integration from Hard Rock Bet is among the best loyalty programs offered by any sports betting app.
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integration → offer → app
- Getting paid for your win on Hard Rock Bet is often one of the easier processes from Hard Rock Bet.
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paid → pay → Bet
- Users praise the weekly rewards drop that allows users to get bonuses and boost options from Hard Rock Bet.
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users → praise → Bet
- It can be rather difficult to get ahold of customer service on Hard Rock Bet to solve any problem or dispute.
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Illinois sportsbooks provide new users with a few primary types of welcome promotions, most notably profit boosts, bet-and-get offers, and deposit matches.
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sportsbooks → provide → promotions
Profit boosts increase your potential payout on a qualifying wager, sometimes doubling your profits if the bet wins.
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bet → increase → profits
Bet-and-get promotions award bonus site credits after you deposit and place a small initial wager (often as low as $5).
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you → bet → 5
Deposit matches aim to boost your starting bankroll right away by matching a percentage—or the full total—of your first deposit with promotional funds.
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matches → aim → funds
Note: This step may be completed during the sign-up process.
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(You must be within the state limits to wager, and note that being by the border of a state could fail the geolocation check).
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Illinois sports betting was first signed into law by Governor JB Pritzker via the Illinois Sports Wagering Act in 2019.
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…and 17 more, not listed.
The Aporia
