Best Online Poker Sites in Illinois

List of the top online poker sites in Illinois

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Pros

• Finding an online poker room
• Is online poker legal in IL? 
• WPD team has done the heavy lifting for you

Cons

• New Jersey, or Nevada, which means it's illegal to operate
• BetOnline is a great example.
• So where can you play?

Finding an online poker room that operates in Illinois can be a challenge. The site needs to have a convenient payment system, games and tournaments that match your time zone, decent bonuses and responsive support. WPD team has done the heavy lifting for you. Let's look at the three top offshore online poker sites for Illinois residents.

The legal status of online poker in Illinois

Is online poker legal in IL? The short answer is no. Illinois lawmakers have been fighting to legalise online poker for many years without success. There is no local online poker regulator like in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, or Nevada, which means it's illegal to operate an online poker site in Illinois. 

So where can you play? Since the Illinois government doesn't prohibit residents from playing online poker, you can use any site within your reach. Among them, offshore online poker sites are the best options.

BetOnline, ACR Poker, Bovada and Ignition are all regulated by offshore gambling authorities and have earned the trust of players across every state in the USA! But it's not just about licences. These offshore sites have built their reputations on security, and

BetOnline is a great example. It's been operating for 25+ years, welcoming players from Illinois. If there were any issues, BetOnline wouldn't still be going strong today!

Sweepstakes poker may be an alternative for Illinois players until real money online poker is legalised. For example, Global Poker or Stake.us. Both are fully licensed in the US under sweepstakes law, allowing players to play poker games in most US states.

Sweepstakes allow you to play for a conditional currency that you receive by converting your deposited cash. Since you're not technically playing for real money, IL does not prohibit sweepstakes poker.

Here's how it works. You purchase Gold Coins tokens, the in-game currency, instead of making a deposit. So a $100 tup-up can turn into 100,000 coins. You use the Coins to buy into poker tables, make bets, and win cash prizes or gift cards.

As for gambling in the state in general, it is currently only allowed in the form of sports betting, horse racing, and the Illinois Lottery.

Is Illinois about to legalize poker?

IL online poker is currently under discussion. Illinois State Representative Edgar Gonzalez Jr. (D-Chicago) is preparing to reintroduce legislation to legalise online gambling, including poker, in the upcoming legislative session that begins in January 2025. Gonzalez originally introduced HB 2239 in February 2023, but the bill faced delays and strong opposition, particularly from companies invested in video gaming terminals (VGTs), which prevented it from moving forward.

Despite igaming being seen as a potential source of revenue, concerns from lawmakers and opposition from VGT stakeholders hampered the bill's chances. Gonzalez and other supporters remain committed to advancing the bill in the next session.

Payment methods at IL online poker sites

Offshore poker sites list a variety of accepted payment methods. However, the only ones that IL players can use are cryptocoins: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, DogeCoin, and others.

In fact, crypto payments are better than fiat. They provide you with the fastest processing time and do not charge you any fees. What's more, they act like an asset. If you're using a coin like BTC, it can increase in value at random.

Illinois card rooms

Feeling skeptical about playing online? Live Poker is allowed in Illinois. The state has several casinos with poker rooms where you can enjoy it. In fact, such a poker experience is authentic because it allows you to see the gestures and emotions of other players, which helps you to read their bluffs.

What is more, playing poker in a brick-and-mortar poker room immerses you in an authentic atmosphere. You're walking and sitting in rich casino interiors, in the company of players you can talk to and relax with. Online poker rooms can't give you that feeling.

Here are some to choose from:

History of poker and gambling in Illinois

Illinois has a long history of poker and gambling. To keep it as brief as possible, we will present it as a list, taking you through gambling legalisation events from the oldest to the most recent:

• Illinois was one of the first states to legalise a state lottery in 1974.
• The state passed a Riverboat Gambling Act in 1990, allowing casinos to open on riverboats.
• There are now 10 such casinos in IL.
• The Video Gaming Act of 2009 allowed video gaming terminals throughout the state.
• Sports betting was legalised in 2019 under legislation signed by Governor J.B. Pritzker.

What about online poker? Attempts to legalise it and online gambling began in 2013 and have so far been unsuccessful.

Best Illinois poker players

Connor Drinan, aka 'blanconegro', started his poker career on FTP and PokerStars in 2007. Prior to Black Friday, his biggest cash was $183,715 for finishing 2nd in the $1,050 buy-in SCOOP-23-H.

In 2011, Connor moved to Canada and began playing live tournaments. In July of that year, he won the Florida State Poker Series Championship Event for $378,719.

Since then, Drinan has combined online and live series play. He has won over $8 million in his professional online career. And nearly $12 million in live tournament earnings. His best performances to date are

• $322,264 for 1st place in the $10,300 buy-in SCOOP-75-H: PLO in 2020.
• $3,225,000 for 3rd place in the $500K buy-in Super High Roller Bowl in 2015.

Two Illinois people have more than $6M in winnings:

1. Mohsin Charania won Main Event EPT and WPT wins in 2012 and 2014. He already finished his career.
2. Jordan Griff moved up to No. 3 in the state rankings after being a runner-up in the 2024 WSOP Main Event for exactly $6M.

Conclusion

There are no Illinois government-acknowledged poker rooms to join in 2024. However, your state doesn’t mind you playing offshore gambling sites using crypto, which is your way to go. How do you pick such a site? If you want to have an easy breeze, just pick among CoinPoker, BetOnline, or ACR Poker, which are all amazing candidates, according to WorldPokerDeals experts. Alternatively, you can pick a site yourself. However, when doing so, ensure it has a viable license and its poker rooms match your time zone!

Responsible gambling

Gambling should be fun. If you try to turn poker into a tool for making a profit, your gambling may get out of control. You'll find yourself spending more time and money than you can afford, which are clear signs of compulsive gambling. IL supports its residents who suffer from it. Illinoisans with a gambling problem can contact these services for help:

• Illinois Council for Problem Gambling
• Voluntary Self-exclusion Program
• gamblersanonymous.org

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