Age Limit For Gambling In Illinois

  • The answer to that question is that any players participating in legal gambling in the state of Illinois, must be of at least 21 years of age. State law requires that no parties under the age of 21 may legally participate in any form of legal gamblingwhat so ever.
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Online Gambling Age For Illinois Residents Illinois gamblers will find that there are age limits on every form of gambling. If you are 18, you can begin participating in a few styles of play. First off, bingo games, the lottery, horse and dog race betting, online bingo and online poker can all be enjoyed. When it comes to using online offshore sportsbooks, those sites usually require users to be 18 years old or older. However, if your state’s sports betting laws require bettors to be 21 years old or older than you will have to follow that guideline before using offshore options.

Age Limit For Gambling In Illinois

There are a lot of different rules when it comes to the legal gambling age for all 50 states. Each of the states in America have different rules when it comes to how old you have to be in order to gamble in it. There are a lot of different types of gambling, and there are a lot of different rules about it. One basic thing to know is that the legal gambling age is not over 21 in any of the states in America. If you’re over 21, you probably don’t need this page. You’re all good to go as long as you’re using a legal gambling website. This page is here for people who are under 21 and want to know what they can and cannot do in their states, and for more general information about gambling ages by state.

What Is The Legal Gambling Age In My State

Well, this answer will vary depending on the type of gambling in the state. For example, you can have a state with a gambling age of 18 for the state run lottery, but 21 for something like casinos or sports betting. The rules are specific to each state. The weirdest one is probably Alabama, where the legal gambling age is 19 across the board, for every type of gambling from sports betting to slot machines. Some states make everything legal at 21 while others at 18.

Below, you can find a table of various gambling ages so you can see all of the different ways it can change in different states. There are a bunch of different gambling ages that all change depending on the state and the type of gambling involved.

StateLotteryParimutuelCasinosBingoOnline PokerDFSSports Betting
Alabaman/a19191918n/a19
Alaskan/an/an/a19182119
Arizona2121211818n/a21
Arkansas18182118182121
California181818-2118182118-21
Colorado18182118182121
Connecticut18182118182121
Delaware18182118212121
District of Columbia18n/an/a18182121
Florida18182118182121
Georgia18n/a18 *18182121
Hawaiin/an/an/an/a18n/a18
Idaho1818181818n/a21
Illinois18182118182121
Indiana18182118182121
Iowa2121212118n/a21
Kansas18212118182121
Kentucky1818n/a18182118
Louisiana2118211818n/a21
Maine18182116182121
Maryland18182118182121
Massachusetts181821 *18182121
Michigan181818-2118182118-21
Minnesota181818-2118182118-21
Mississippi21n/a2118182121
Missouri18182116182121
Montana1818181818n/a18
Nebraska19182118182121
Nevadan/a21212121n/a21
New Hampshire18212118182121
New Jersey18182118212121
New Mexico181821no age limit182121
New York181818-21no age limit182121
North Carolina18n/a21no age limit182121
North Dakotan/a1821no age limit182121
Ohio18182118182121
Oklahoma181818-2116182118-21
Oregon181818-2118182118-21
Pennsylvania18182118212121
Puerto Rico18181818182121
Rhode Island18181818182118
South Carolina18n/a21 *18182121
South Dakota18182118182121
Tennessee1818n/a18182121
Texas182121 *18182121
Utahn/an/an/an/a182118
Vermont18n/an/a18182118
Virgin Islands18n/a21n/a182121
Virginia181818-211818n/a18-21
Washington18182118182121
West Virginia18182118182121
Wisconsin18182118182121
Wyomingn/a181818182118

Why Do States Have A Legal Gambling Age?

Age

States have legal gambling ages for various reasons. Without delving too deeply into America’s generally puritanical past, gambling is thought of as negative for various reasons in the country. For one, it’s frowned upon by the very religious in the country, and for another there are some scientific aspects to restricting it to adults as well. Children shouldn’t gamble because they aren’t responsible enough, as a rule, and so the law is a way of making sure that people don’t have their freedoms infringed, but do have protections for people who are young and whose decision-making capabilities have not fully developed. Basically, there are a lot of different reasons for legal gambling ages in the United States, but all you really need to know is that they exist.

What Happens If I Gamble Underage?

Penalties can range from minor fines to major felonies. It is incredibly important that you don’t gamble underage. We created this entire page so that you would know what to do when it comes to gambling, and so that you would know not to gamble underage. It is so important to follow the law when it comes to gambling. Please make sure if you take one thing away from this, it is that you should not gamble underage.

Legal Sports Betting Age In The USA

Sports betting is one of the most well known pastimes in the United States. From betting on the home team to five leg parlay wagers on multiple different sports to placing wagers on League of Legends, sports betting is incredibly far ranging, and comes in many different forms. In the United States, there are a whole lot of different types of sports betting. You can make straight bets, you can parlay matches together, you can bet on prop bets, or anything else you can find on an online sportsbook.

Just make sure that you’re over the legal age in your state. The gambling age for sports betting is usually 18-21, so if you’re over 21, you know you’re good to go, and if you’re under 18, you know you’re not good to go. Make sure you check the local laws for your state to know the specific information for your state.

Legal Age To Gamble At A Casino

Casinos are some of the most common and useful types of gambling across the United States. You can play any kind of games at them, from poker and blackjack to roulette, baccarat and slot machines. They are available across the United States, in various forms. For example, many states have commercial casinos, or riverboat casinos, and many states in addition have Native American Casinos. There are also online casinos that are available for bettors inside the United States.

The legal age to gamble at a casino is going to vary depending on states. Generally it will be from 18-21 in the states that it is legal in. Sometimes it will vary depending on the casino in question, as Native American casinos sometimes have lower betting ages than commercial casinos due to the compacts signed with the tribes. For online casinos, we recommend following the laws of the state, and if it is not well defined, make sure you’re over 21.

Legal Poker Age

Poker is one of the greatest games in the world. It is an incredible game of skill as well as chance, and one of the most iconic gambling games. Poker is available in poker rooms, casinos, and on online websites across the internet. There are a lot of options to play poker, but how old do you have to be?

Mostly, the answer will depend on the state that you are in. Poker can be played in different states in different times of your life. Generally, it will be between 18-21. As long as you are over the age of 21, you should be completely good to go, and play as much poker as you desire, either in a land based location or online.

Legal Horse Betting Age In The USA

Horse betting is one of the most well known and prestigious betting types in the entire United States. It’s one of the longest running types of betting, and has a long history in the United States, as well as in places like England, and around the world.

The legal age to bet on horses will depend on where you are located. In some states, the horse betting age is as low as 18, while in others, it can be as high as 21. One thing to keep in mind is that 21 is the maximum - if you are over 21, you don’t need this page, you should be completely good to go. If you are under 21, you’re going to want to check the chart near the top of this page and find your state on it.

Legal Bingo Age In The USA

Bingo is a common game in the United States. Although it is often characterized as the game people play in retirement homes, Bingo has a lot of appeal beyond that, from internet bingo to public bingo halls. The legal age to play bingo has some significant variance in it. Some states allow you to play the game for charity when you are only 16, while some states restrict it further. If you are 21, you should be 100% able to play bingo at any authorized bingo retailer, but if not, you’ll probably want to check the chart at the top of the page, find your state, and go off of that information. In addition, you can consider your own research to make sure that you are obeying the law.

Legal Gambling Age For DFS Sites

Daily fantasy sports is one of the newer additions to the gambling atmosphere, a gambling adjacent activity that has skyrocketed in popularity in recent years. Daily Fantasy is a quickly growing sector of the gambling market, and has swiftly made moves toward legalization in many of the states in the United States of America. The legal age in most of these states tends to be 21 years old, but just to be safe, we have a chart at the top of the page that should be helpful in terms of telling you when you are allowed to play DFS in your state. All you have to do is find your state on the chart.

Legal Age To Play State Lottery Games

Interestingly, state run lotteries tend to have lower entry ages than many of the other types of gambling in the state. A lot of them tend to be close to 18, but it is important that you make sure that you are obeying the laws of your state. For this reason, we have created a chart on which you can find your state, and then find the age at which you are allowed to play state lottery games within it.

Age Limit For Gambling In Illinois County

Legal Age For Video Slots

Video slots are common across America - and one of the biggest drivers of the casino industry. A significant portion of casino profits come from slots, because they are easy to play and easy to access. In most states, you have to be 21 to enter a casino, but in some, there are exceptions. You can check out the chart at the top of the page to see what the laws are in your specific state.

Legal Age For Online Slots

Online slots follow the same rules as video slots. Generally, online slots are part of an online casino, which tend to be located offshore. For this reason, it’s important to make sure you are over the legal casino gambling age in your state, even if the casino website you’re using is offshore. Breaking the law is wrong, and nobody wants the cops at their door for gambling. Luckily, as long as you’re above the legal age, you should be 100% good to go, so check out the chart at the top of the page for more information on the legal age in your state.

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  • Horseracing (1927), Lottery (1974), Bingo (1983), Casinos (1991), Video Lottery (2012)
  • $1.1 billion
  • $3.8 billion
  • 18 for racing, lottery, and bingo. 21 for casinos and video lottery
  • Illinois bans smoking in all gambling establishments
  • Horseracing is the only version of online gambling legal in Illinois.

Illinois offers a wide variety of gambling. It’s racing industrƒy was the first to enter the market, dating back to the Great Depression. The Illinois Lottery was one of the first in the Midwest. There are also several high-end Illinois casinos and video lottery.

Illinois’ economy and smoking ban have hurt its gaming revenue in recent years. The state passed a casino smoking ban in 2008, just before the Great Recession. This chopped 20% off its gambling revenue as smokers moved the action to border states where casinos permit smoking. Illinois was hit hard by the recession. This kept gaming revenue down for a longer period of time than other states. In 2015, the state stopped paying big lottery winners due to a budget impasse in the state legislature; this hurt ticket sales.

Illinois Casinos Map & Guide

  • Harrah’s Joliet
  • Harrah’s Metropolis
  • Par-A-Dice Casino
  • Casino Queen
  • Hollywood Casino
  • 9
  • 9
  • 0

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Types of Online Illinois Gambling Allowed

Horseracing is one form of legal online gambling in Illinois. Bettors may make advanced deposits at sites like TVG, TwinSpires, and BetAmerica. As of now, online casino gambling is not legal in Illinois.

The Illinois Lottery sells tickets over the Internet. These include Powerball, Mega Millions, Pick 3, and Pick 4. Players may purchase subscriptions for 13, 26, or 52 weeks.

In December 2015, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan announced that daily fantasy sports were illegal in the state. Unlike Nevada and Hawaii where sites left the market on this determination, DraftKings and FanDuel decided to challenge this decision in court. A ruling on the case is not expected until the end of 2016. DraftKings and FanDuel remain in the Illinois market pending the conclusion of the legal fight.

Types of Live Illinois Gambling

  • Slots: Yes
  • Blackjack: Yes
  • Poker: Yes
  • Craps/Roulette: Yes
  • Horses: Yes
  • Lottery: Yes

Horseracing is the oldest form of live gambling in Illinois. There are seven racetracks in Illinois. Racebooks are also legal in Illinois. This is where bettors can get off-track action on simulcast races.

The Illinois Lottery is one of the oldest in the country. Scratch-off tickets and lotto drawings are spread by the Illinois Lottery. Lottos include LuckyDay Lotto, Lotto Extra Shot, Powerball, and Mega Millions.

LasFor

Illinois casinos opened on riverboats in 1991. All casino games were legal from the first day of gambling. Poker, slots, video poker, blackjack, craps, roulette, and table games that use cards are all legal in Illinois casinos. Riverboats are strategically located throughout the state. There is a poker room in all Illinois casinos.

Slots and video poker are spread in bars, restaurants, gas stations, and charitable organizations. The best video poker game returns 97.9%. This is below the standard of casinos in Illinois. There are about 4,500 video gaming establishments in Illinois. These businesses host about 18,000 machines.

Illinois Gambling Laws

Illinois gambling laws license and regulate numerous forms of gambling in the state. This includes pari-mutuel betting, charitable bingo, lotteries, and casino gaming. These forms of gambling are specifically exempted from state law.

It is a misdemeanor to gamble in an unlicensed establishment in Illinois as either a player or an operator. Subsequent convictions fall under a Class 4 felony.

Illinois casinos operate under the Riverboat Gambling Act, which passed in 1990. These boats were required to be on the water. They had to leave the dock for two hours for the first ten years of operation. Casinos may now be more traditional and do not have to leave the dock. This change of law occurred in 1999.

Bingo operators must be charities. A $200 per year license is required. The maximum prize per contest is $500. The maximum prize pool per day is $2,250.

Illinois makes it a gambling crime to operate a game of chance over the Internet. The only exception to this is the Illinois Lottery. The state lottery is permitted to sell lotto tickets on its website.

The minimum legal gambling age in Illinois is 21 years for casino and bar video poker patrons. Lottery and racing have a minimum gambling age of 18 years.

List of Illinois Casinos

Players may buy lottery tickets in any convenience store in the state. Video poker and slot machines are found in nearly every bar, many restaurants and gas stations, including truck stops. Hotels also spread these games. There are nearly 20,000 of these machines located throughout the state. The following table shows the current nine Illinois casinos.

CasinoSizeAddressWebsite
Argosy Casino – Alton1,100 Slot Machines1 Piasa Streetwww.argosyalton.com
Casino Queen – East St. Louis1,100 Slot Machines200 South Front Streetwww.casinoqueen.com
Grand Victoria Casino – Elgin1,100 Slot Machines250 S. Grove Ave.www.grandvictoriacasino.com
Harrah’s Casino – Joliet1,188 Slot Machines151 N. Joliet St.www.caesars.com/harrahs-joliet
Harrah’s Metropolis Casino1,145 Slot Machines100 East Front Streethttps://www.caesars.com/harrahs-metropolis
Hollywood Casino – Aurora1,160 Slot Machines49 W. Galena Blvd.www.hollywoodcasinoaurora.com
Jumer’s Casino – Rock Island1,100 Slot Machines777 Jumer Dr.www.jumerscasinohotel.com
Par-A-Dice Casino – East Peoria1,100 Slot Machines21 Blackjack Blvd.www.paradicecasino.com
Rivers Casino – Des Plaines1,050 Slot Machines3000 S. River Rd.www.riverscasino.com

Illinois Racetracks

  • Arlington Park – Arlington Heights
  • Balmoral Park – Crete
  • Duquoin State Fair – Duquoin
  • Fairmount Park – Collinsville
  • Hawthorne Race Course and Suburban Downs – Stickney
  • Maywood Park – Melrose Park

History of Illinois Gambling

Sports Gambling In Illinois

Horse racing began in Illinois in the 1830s, while casino riverboats first appeared in the 1840s. The Civil War put an end to most of this unregulated gambling.

A revival of horse racing convinced the state to regulate the industry in 1927. It was the first form of explicitly legal gambling in the state. Illinois launched a state lottery in 1974. The Riverboat Casino Act created Illinois casinos in 1990. Ten licenses were approved. All must be on the water and none in Cook County, home to Chicago. This was done to protect the city’s horse racing industry.

Riverboat casinos were forced to go into the water every two hours. This was repealed in 1999.

Video Gambling Illinois

Bar video poker and slots were approved in 2012. This was not extended to racetracks in the state. The horse racing industry continues to push for its share of the video gaming industry in Illinois.

Illinois was the first state to ban smoking in casinos in 2008. Gaming revenue dropped 20% nearly instantly. The state blamed the loss of gaming revenue on the economy. The St. Louis Federal Reservepublished a report that determined that was not the case. Illinois gamblers were going to neighboring states where smoking is still permitted in casinos. This includes Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Indiana. Most Illinois casinos are located on the state line, making it easy for gamblers to just drive across the river for a smoker friendly casino.

The Illinois Lottery stopped paying winners of $25,000 or more in 2015 due to a budget impasse. The dropped to $600 late in 2015. This caused lottery sales to suffer as players drove to bordering states to buy jackpot tickets out of fear of never getting paid.

Illinois Casinos & Gambling FAQ

Is there horse racing in Illinois?

Are there casinos in Chicago?

No. State law does not permit casinos in Cook County.

The state wanted to protect the horseracing industry. Indiana licensed a casino in Gary to attract some of this action.

Yes, but they do not have to leave the dock.

The Illinois Attorney General declared daily fantasy sports illegal in December 2015. Major sites like DraftKings and FanDuel refused to leave the state upon this declaration and instead filed suit for a declaratory judgment.

Yes. All Illinois casinos have a poker room.

Illinois Gambling News

There are nine casinos in Illinois. MGM Springfield plans to open in 2017 to become the tenth.

The minimum Illinois gambling age is 21 for casinos and video lottery, and 18 for racing, lottery, and bingo.