$1,000 First Bet on Caesars
Exclusive NFL Live Streaming
Best Sportsbook for Odds Boosts
Industry-Leading VIP Rewards Program
$1,000 First Bet Reset
Parlay+ for Easy Same-Game Parlays
Promos Featuring ESPN Personalities
Elite PENN Play Loyalty Program Perks
Bet And Get Up To $1,000 In Bonus Bets
Get FanCash Back With Every Wager
Industry-Leading Search Functionality
Easy-to-Use App Great for Beginners
Up to $1500 in Bonus Bets if Your First Bet Loses
Easy-to-Use One-Game Parlay Builder
Live Streaming of MLB, NBA & NHL
MGM Rewards Program Industry Leader
Bet $5, Get $250 In Bonus Bets + 1 month NFL+ Premium Subscription
Low-Risk, High-Reward Welcome Offer
Weekly Profit Boosts on Multiple Sports
Stylish Site & App Easy to Navigate
Bet $5, Get $200 in Bonus Bets + 3 Weeks of NFL Sunday Ticket
Most Comprehensive Odds & Props
Market Leader in Virtually Every State
Allows Venmo Deposits and Withdrawals
Illinois betting apps make it quick and easy for you to bet on popular teams such as the Bears, Bulls, Cubs, White Sox and Blackhawks from anywhere in the state. We’ve researched, analyzed and used all the best sports betting apps in the state and have reviewed them so you can find the one that best fits your needs along with the best sportsbook promos to get started with.
Illinois sports betting apps first launched in the summer of 2020, and now there are a handful of elite sports betting apps in the ˽ýӳ for Illinois sports bettors to use. We have reviewed all seven and ranked them in descending order of their overall quality:
Caesars Sportsbook is the best sportsbook app in Illinois for bonus hunters. The Caesars Sportsbook promo code ˽ýӳTODAY1000 means that all new players who sign up with it get a $1,000 first-bet offer. Should your initial wager lose, you will receive a single matching bonus bet equal to that wager, up to $1000. That credit has just a 1x playthrough requirement attached to it.
There are dozens of odds boosts in the most relevant sports betting markets each day at Caesars Sportsbook IL, along with recurring Illinois sportsbook promos such as profit boosts, bonus bets and prize draws. The app is user-friendly, with high betting limits and great customer support, and payouts are quick and secure.
Caesars Entertainment, another large casino company based in Las Vegas, launched this app after purchasing William Hill for $4 billion a couple of years ago. It reskinned the William Hill Illinois app, which had been live since 2020, renaming it Caesars Sportsbook Illinois.
The app runs on the same platform – which is fast, easy-to-use and elegantly designed – but the Caesars team has added features such as live NFL streaming to enhance the user experience. You won’t find a better user experience than the one Caesars Sportsbook provides its players.
ESPN BET is the online sportsbook of one of the largest sports networks in the world. Partnering with PENN Entertainment, ESPN BET launched with a terrific welcome offer for new customers. With the ESPN BET promo TODAY, Illinois bettors will receive a first-bet bonus up to $1,000. Players will earn cash profit with a win or matching bonus bets in return with a loss. Either way you’re covered with one of the top Illinois sportsbook promos.
The bonus bets are delivered as five credits, each worth 20% of the initial losing wager. Despite ESPN BET Illinois being in its infancy, this is a healthy welcome bonus offer in addition to the other promotions all players have access to each time they log in. These bonuses can be used on Monday Night Football odds or even NFL prop bets.
PENN Entertainment is the driving force behind ESPN BET and is the online sportsbook's gaming partner. The ESPN BET Illinois app offers a variety of odds boosts in many sports and allows users to customize their promos, all with an easy-to-use interface and simple navigation tools.
Players will find plenty of great options at the newest entrant into the world of online sports betting. The Fanatics Sportsbook promo offer delivers new players up to $1,000 in guaranteed bonus bets. The first wager you place each day will be automatically matched up to $100, and players can repeat that process for nine more days–meaning up to $1,000 in bonus bets on top of any cash winnings from your qualifying bets.
Fanatics is trying to make a splash in the market, and is doing it with great promos like odds boosts and insurance, as well as a unique rewards program called FanCash, which players can redeem and use at Fanatics’ industry-leading sports merchandise store.
Fanatics Sportsbook Illinois is not available on your computer or mobile browser, but is available via app on both the App Store and Google Play. It is an easy to use and intuitive interface that makes betting a breeze for newcomers.
Our analysis finds that BetMGM is the top sports betting app Illinois players can download right now. It is a very stylish and sophisticated app, replete with a wide range of features. There are lots of betting options to choose from, the odds are competitive, payouts are reliable, it offers loads of banking options and the customer support is excellent.
New players who sign up now with the BetMGM bonus code ˽ýӳTODAY will receive a first-bet offer up to $1,500. The first wager you place will earn cash profit with a win or matching bonus bets back with a loss. BetMGM also offers odds boosts, bet-and-get deals, bracket challenges and other promos that increase potential payout on the wagers you place. You will earn MGM Rewards points when you place bets via the mobile app, too.
Casino giant MGM Resorts International teamed up with European company Entain to form BetMGM as a joint venture in 2018. Entain owns several leading online sportsbooks, casinos and poker rooms in Europe and Asia Pacific, and it used the proprietary technology from those apps to create BetMGM.
It is a world-class mobile app, with features including a bet editor, early cash out, stats, a one-game parlay builder and live streaming of NBA, MLB and NHL games, plus various other sports.
DraftKings gained its popularity and user base in the 2000s by running DFS contests on a range of sports in Illinois before the state legalized traditional sports betting. It competes with FanDuel for the top spot among most popular online sportsbooks, providing players with a host of versatile bonuses, free-to-play contests and stellar rewards.
The DraftKings promo code offers all new players a Bet $5, Get $250 Instantly sign-up bonus. You just need to place a $5 wager on any set of odds in any market to qualify, and you will be awarded 10 $25 bonus bets instantly. Illinois bettors can also earn cash profit on the qualifying wager they place, but the bonus bets are yours no matter what.
DraftKings used a sportsbook platform from Kambi – which also supplies BetRivers – when it launched its sports betting app. However, it then migrated to a proprietary mobile wagering platform created by SBTech, a company that DraftKings merged with prior to a Nasdaq listing in 2020. It has a clean interface with neatly listed odds, and bonuses are easily accessible so players can maximize their potential payouts before placing their wagers.
Bet $5, Get $250 In Bonus Bets + 1 month NFL+ Premium Subscription
FanDuel is the most popular Illinois sports betting app, according to official figures from the state gaming board. It is another super option for all types of players, offering loads of great features, plenty of betting options, very fast payouts and an outstanding user experience.
The FanDuel promo code provides bettors with $200 in bonus bets when they place any $5 wager. What’s nice about this particular offer is the bonus bets you can earn may be divided up and used however you prefer, providing some nice versatility to this offer.
FanDuel Illinois’ typical flagship has been a “No Sweat First Bet” bonus of up to $1,000. Players can earn cash profit with a win or matching bonus bets back on the first wager they place, up to $1,000. FanDuel also offers more ongoing promos than rival sports betting apps that Illinois players can download, including bonus bets, profit boosts, contests, odds boosts, protection promos and more.
FanDuel offers a very slick mobile betting interface, which is accessible for beginners and packed with advanced features for experienced bettors. Live streaming of MLB games, NHL games and other sporting events is available, and there are lots of other helpful add-ons. It is an ultra-reliable and sharp Illinois sportsbook complete with free-to-play contests, stats and excellent customer service. It’s not a coincidence that it’s considered the most popular sports betting app in Illinois.
Bet $5, Get $200 in Bonus Bets + 3 Weeks of NFL Sunday Ticket
Ultimately, the top Illinois sports betting app is the one that best suits your needs. That’s why we recommend bettors in the state sign up for multiple Illinois online sportsbooks so they can take advantage of each operator’s welcome bonus offer as well as figuring out which they like best. We rate BetMGM and ESPN BET as the best sports betting apps Illinois players can download. They offer more features, banking options and betting markets than rivals, and the user experience is excellent. There are lots of great promotions, too.
Caesars Sportsbook provides an interesting alternative, as it has fewer features, but it is quicker and more accessible, with larger promos and more odds boosts. DraftKings and FanDuel are also fast, dependable, user-friendly apps that make placing your wagers a breeze. Illinois residents can check out some user reviews of the state's most popular apps below:
“BetMGM is easy to use. For someone who’s not a pro at sports betting, this is a great setup and walks you through everything.” – Alisha White
“I would recommend Caesars Sportsbook over all the other apps. It is easy to deposit and withdraw. The staff is always very helpful if I need help, but the system is very easy to use and I very rarely need help.” – Adam Sherrill
“Really enjoy using DraftKings. Just opened an account, and I spent $5 and got six $25 bonus bets. Interface is easy to use and clean.” – Darren Brenner
Our experts downloaded each operator’s mobile betting app for both Apple and Android devices. We reviewed each of the apps based on a number of factors including:
The best Illinois sports betting apps make it very easy and quick for you to wager on your favorite games. They offer a simple interface that is easy to navigate with pages and bet slips that load rapidly, so you can place your bets in seconds. The best sports betting apps Illinois are also very reliable, so you don't need to worry about pages crashing, and they offer value-added features like live streaming. This is especially important when placing live bets, when odds can change in a matter of seconds.
There are several legal Illinois betting apps to choose from, and they all provide exciting welcome bonuses to stand out among the competition. We assess the size and appeal of each sign-up bonus, factoring in the ease of the wagering requirements and whether the offer appeals to all ranges of bettors, from casual players to high-rollers. Our reviewers also grade the ongoing promotions, contests and loyalty rewards, allowing them to calculate the value each sportsbook offers through its bonuses and promotions so players can maximize their chances for success.
The best sports betting apps Illinois customers can download will cover a very wide selection of sports, including NFL odds. They take bets on the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and other sports that the majority of bettors are most interested in, but they also cover smaller leagues from around the world. You can often bet on around 20 additional sports, too, from tennis and golf to darts and cycling. The best Illinois sportsbook apps will offer a very broad selection of betting options on each event no matter the season. There will always be hundreds of odds to choose from each time you log in. College football season is here and that means Heisman odds are available as well.
The best Illinois sports betting apps are perfect for in-game wagering, allowing bettors to make bets while games are happening. The top Illinois betting apps have live odds on just about every sports betting market, though players will need to be fast as these odds change quickly. These operators also offer live sports streaming, which allows you to watch the action and make live wagers all in one place.
The quality of the betting odds is a crucial factor in determining the overall appeal of an Illinois sportsbook app. The best apps will never charge more than the industry standard juice of around 4.77% on their sides and totals, and they offer competitive moneylines, props and futures. We recommend signing up with several Illinois betting apps, which will allow you to compare their odds and quickly grab the most favorable terms on each bet you place. The difference in odds at sports betting apps may seem small, but it does add up over time.
You will find a wide range of secure, trustworthy deposit and withdrawal options at the best online sportsbooks in Illinois. They include major credit cards and debit cards, branded Play+ cards, e-wallets such as PayPal, Venmo and Skrill, ACH transfers, online banking, wire transfers, cash at a retail sportsbook or PayNearMe. It’s simple for bettors to make deposits with the options they prefer, and most banking methods make your funds available to use immediately.
The best sportsbook app Illinois operators also process payout requests very quickly, and they provide secure transfers, with broad limits available. The majority of players will have no issues finding banking methods that work best for them, and secure features are one of the top reasons we recommend using legal and licensed sports betting apps.
The top Illinois sports betting apps also offer 24/7 customer service. Most will provide live chat and email support, but some offer phone support, too. We always test the customer service department out during our reviews, grading the speed of the replies, the knowledge and friendliness of the representatives and the quality of the overall experience. All sports betting apps also have thorough FAQ pages that answer less pressing questions for players.
We only recommend licensed Illinois sports betting apps that work with the Illinois Gaming Board. The apps featured on this page must follow strict regulatory conditions, which require them to invest in robust security measures, ensuring all data is heavily encrypted. Avoid unlicensed, offshore mobile sportsbooks, which do not offer native mobile apps and which may not pay out if you win. These regulations also mean that players will have access to fair odds that give them the best chance to win the wagers they place.
The best Illinois betting apps have a dedicated section for live betting, which you can quickly access via the main menu. They will list a wide range of games and sporting events that are currently underway, split into specific sports and leagues, and you will normally see a list of upcoming events, too. You can tap on any event to browse a range of live, in-game betting options.
The odds change throughout the event, reflecting the current score and time remaining. You will normally see live stats and updates on the action, and many Illinois betting apps also offer live streaming.
Primetime NFL games are popular live-betting markets, and Bears fans will want to stay in the know on Sunday Night Football odds and Thursday Night Football odds with Chicago drawing several nationally televised matchups this season.
They make it very quick and simple for you to place in-game wagers, and they offer competitive odds on a wide array of markets, from spreads, totals and moneylines to props, fast markets and same-game parlay combos. Some operators often offer the option for bettors to automatically accept odds changes on live bets, so you won’t miss out on placing your wagers if something in the action shifts.
Illinois sports betting apps make it simple for prospective players to get started. You’ll be able to use the respective sportsbook promo codes associated with each operator and create your account in a matter of minutes, giving you complete access to the mobile betting app once you complete registration. Here’s what to do:
Click the link displayed next to any of the Illinois online sportsbooks featured on this page. It will open the sports betting site and ensure you receive the best sign-up promo.
Tap to open the registration form and fill in your name, date of birth, home address, phone number, email address and the last four digits of your SSN. Create a password, agree to the terms of use, submit the form and – if it cannot automatically verify your details – upload scanned copies of the documents the sportsbook requests to complete KYC checks. There are no workarounds to the requirement of bettors needing to be 21+ years old and physically located in Illinois to earn this offer and legally place wagers.
Clicking the link we have provided will entitle you to the best welcome bonus at an online sportsbook. If you do not click the link, you can still manually upload the promo code, such as ˽ýӳTODAY at BetMGM. It’s important to note that players cannot go back and add the promo code later, so don’t miss that step during registration.
When you have cleared KYC checks and your account has been approved, you can make a minimum deposit using one of the methods displayed. All licensed Illinois betting apps offer instant deposits, but some sportsbook promos require a minimum deposit (which is typically $10 at most), so read our reviews and the fine print within the sports betting app to know what your requirements are.
With your account created and your mobile app downloaded, log in and place your first wager. What you do here depends on which app you’ve chosen to play with. There may be a requirement of just a $5 wager, or you can place a real-money wager up to $1,500 if you’re playing with BetMGM. Once you place that wager, start your online sports betting experience by placing wagers on your favorite teams.
There are a few rules and regulations that players will need to follow, but they’re pretty straightforward. You must be 21 or older to bet on sports in Illinois, and you also need to be located within state lines. When using a desktop sports betting site, you need to install a GeoComply plugin, but the software is already built into mobile devices, so simply turn on location services when using the app.
Players can then bet on professional and college sports via an app, although you can only bet on in-state college teams by visiting a retail sportsbook. Mobile casino gaming and poker are not yet legal in Illinois, but sports betting apps will provide hundreds of odds each day for bettors to choose from.
Everyone is on their phone all the time these days, so why not add an online sportsbook to your list of apps? Illinois has the elite operators, and you will enjoy a secure, fair and reliable mobile wagering experience if you download a high-quality, licensed Illinois betting app such as BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook or DraftKings. We recommend signing up with multiple Illinois betting apps to benefit from all the best promos and to ensure you always get the best odds. Just follow the link next to any sportsbook we have highlighted to redeem the strongest sign-up bonus today.
$1,000 First Bet on Caesars
Exclusive NFL Live Streaming
Best Sportsbook for Odds Boosts
Industry-Leading VIP Rewards Program
$1,000 First Bet Reset
Parlay+ for Easy Same-Game Parlays
Promos Featuring ESPN Personalities
Elite PENN Play Loyalty Program Perks
Bet And Get Up To $1,000 In Bonus Bets
Get FanCash Back With Every Wager
Industry-Leading Search Functionality
Easy-to-Use App Great for Beginners
Up to $1500 in Bonus Bets if Your First Bet Loses
Easy-to-Use One-Game Parlay Builder
Live Streaming of MLB, NBA & NHL
MGM Rewards Program Industry Leader
Bet $5, Get $250 In Bonus Bets + 1 month NFL+ Premium Subscription
Low-Risk, High-Reward Welcome Offer
Weekly Profit Boosts on Multiple Sports
Stylish Site & App Easy to Navigate
Bet $5, Get $200 in Bonus Bets + 3 Weeks of NFL Sunday Ticket
Most Comprehensive Odds & Props
Market Leader in Virtually Every State
Allows Venmo Deposits and Withdrawals
Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators and sports betting partners for audience referrals. The ˽ýӳ Network newsroom and editorial staff maintains direction on this content, which is created by partner staff. Sports betting operators have no influence over our news coverage. See applicable operator site for its terms and conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER. Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside.