There is no legislation currently regulating online poker in Illinois. However, players can participate in online poker cash games and tournaments at offshore sites. We have thoroughly reviewed the available options and have come up with 7 of the best online poker rooms accepting Illinois players. Read the following sections to find out the best poker sites in Illinois, the status of legal poker in the Land of Lincoln, the available games, and how to get started.
The Top Illinois Online Poker Sites
-
Popular
- Freerolls
- Satellites
- Rakeback
- Mobile app
- Anonymous tables
- High traffic
300% Poker & Casino Welcome Bonus
New Player Poker Bonus Up To $2,000
100% Bonus Up To $2,000 on Your 1st Deposit
100% Bonus Up To $2,000 on Your 1st Deposit
List of the Best Online Poker Sites in Illinois
- CoinPoker – #1 Illinois online poker site with a 33% rakeback
- BetOnline – Bad Beat Jackpot when a Four of a Kind is beaten by a better hand
- Bovada – Soft traffic with amateur players at the tables
- Everygame – Freeroll poker tournaments, and satellites for seats in live events worldwide
- Ignition Poker – Anonymous tables and hand history viewer
- Juicy Stakes – A good option with fixed 36% RB, tournaments with overlays & HUD support
- ACR (Americas Cardroom) – Our top choice for pro players in Illinois with 200+ cash tables
Is Online Poker Legal in Illinois?
Online poker operates in a legal grey area in Illinois. Yes, you can play online poker in Illinois with options like sweepstakes at online poker sites, free downloadable poker apps, and offshore poker sites where you can play for real money.
However, Illinois legislators have not passed a law allowing iGaming and poker site providers to operate within the state’s limit. On the other hand, the law does not explicitly point out online poker as an illegal activity.
No one has ever been prosecuted for playing online poker at offshore sites in Illinois. If anything, these sites have gained popularity, with many Illinois residents turning to them for safe and reliable online poker tournaments and cash game action.
Top 7 Illinois Online Poker Sites Reviewed
Now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s look at the state’s top 7 online poker rooms and what they offer.
1. CoinPoker – #1 Illinois Online Poker Site with a 33% Rakeback
- Website: https://coinpoker.com/
- Poker Network: Independent
- Established: 2018
- License: Curaçao license No. 1668 JAZ issued by Curaçao eGaming
- Deposit methods: Cryptocurrency
- Average Daily Poker Traffic: 1,100
Poker Game Selection: 4.8/5
CoinPoker is our top-rated Illinois online poker site due to its strong game offering that includes Texas Hold’em, Omaha Hold’em, 5-Card Omaha, and Short Deck Poker. Finding low, middle, and high-stakes tables is a breeze and there’s plenty of traffic even during off-peak hours due to the numerous promotions available.
Poker Rakeback, Offers, and Promotions: 4.7/5
CoinPoker rakes a portion of all bets made on cash and tournament tables. The poker room then pays a 33% rakeback every Monday as CHP tokens in your account. In addition, the CoinPoker welcome bonus matches 100% of ₮100, ₮300, and ₮700 deposits, and to top it off, CoinPoker runs daily freerolls every day of the week.
Poker Tournaments: 4.7/5
The site also fares well on the tournament’s front, with ten options for new and regular Illinois players. Their flagship CSOP tournament series guarantees $1,000,000 in prize money, while other examples include Mark Gork’s Omaha Tuesdays, Big Bangs, Saturday Progressive Knockouts and If you are a fan of big-money tournaments, then CoinPoker is worth checking out. With all of that on offer, it is no surprise that the biggest pot of $7,750,000 in online poker history was won at CoinPoker. Here’s how it was played out:
Their Sunday Showdowns feature big money tournaments in Hold’em and Pot Limit Omaha, with buy-ins from ₮1000 – ₮5000, and huge prize pots of between ₮150,000 – ₮200,000.
Regular players can take part in their daily Hold’em and Omaha leaderboard comps where you can grab a share of ₮1,000 every day.
Deposit and Withdrawal Options: 4.6/5
Illinois poker fans will find a diverse range of crypto tokens that can be used for deposits, including USDT, ETH, BTC, and CoinPoker’s exclusive CHP token. All of these methods mean no hassle with KYC checks, and it’s easy to use a crypto wallet like Metamask to get started.
Our Verdict: 4.7/5
CoinPoker is a fantastic site for new players and provides detailed guides on each game to help you learn all you need to know quickly. With only 120 to 150 players on cash games even at peak times, CoinPoker is not the largest poker site. However, this is where you can find the softest games and free satellite tournaments for new Illinois players.
Pros
- Low and high-stakes tables and tourneys are always available
- 100% online poker welcome bonus
- No KYC, decentralized blockchain poker
- Poker HUDs banned
- 33% Rakeback
Cons
- Relatively few payment methods
2. BetOnline – 25+ Years of Trusted Online Poker Games
- Website: https://www.betonline.ag/poker
- Poker Network: Chico Poker Network
- Established: 1991
- License: Panama
- Deposit methods: Debit/Credit cards, Cryptocurrencies, Moneygram
- Average Daily Poker Traffic: 450
Poker Game Selection: 4.7/5
BetOnline has been offering reliable online poker services for over 25 years. The site carries a standard range of online poker games, including cutting-edge titles like Windfall Poker, Boost Poker, and Six Plus Hold’em.
- Windfall Poker is a fast-paced, 3-handed sit-and-go tourney where you can win over 1000x your buy-in.
- Boost Poker is great for players looking for non-stop poker action. In this format, you are transferred to a new table as soon as you fold your hand. Boost poker is available in cash games and tournaments.
- Six Plus Hold’em is also known as short deck Hold’em. This is where all numbers six and below are removed from the deck.
Poker Rakeback, Offers, and Promotions: 4.5/5
Looking at BetOnline’s bonus and promotions page, it’s easy to see that it suits recreational players more. The site offers a bad beat jackpot, where you win for losing with AAAKK or better. New players can claim a 100% first deposit bonus of up to $1,000.
Poker Tournaments: 4.7/5
You have more than 50 events daily at BetOnline. Multi-table tournaments offer the chance for big rewards. You will find various formats, including progressive knockouts, pot-limit Omaha, no-limit Hold’em, satellites, re-buy, and mystery bounty, all of which, are in live video poker format.
BetOnline Poker has a wide range of tournaments including their regular series of tourneys like Sunday Majors, Tourney Money Builders, and Progressive Bounties.
Tournaments are available 24 hours per day and have buy-ins starting from as little as a dollar for new players, right up to $215 with guaranteed prize pots of $20,000.
BetOnline offers two types of bounty tournament format, a Progressive Knockout where you receive 50% of the bounty on a player’s head, with the other 50% added to the bounty on your own head.
Real pros will love the Bounty Builders Knockout tourney format where you get 100% of the bounty amount when you knock a player out.
As well as the varied tourney formats, BetOnline provides players with a poker odds calculator which they can use to to analyze hands and calculate odds and outs in real time.
Deposit and Withdrawal Options: 4.6/5
The available banking options are well-suited for online poker players in Illinois and the US. The fastest deposit and withdrawal methods are cryptos like Bitcoin and Ethereum, but you can also use Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express.
Our Verdict: 4.6/5
BetOnline is a top online poker site that offers exciting jackpots and bonus promotions for Illinois players. Here is a complete list of pros and cons.
Pros
- Sit and Go games available
- $1,000 NLH (No Limit Hold’em) and PLO (Pot Limit Omaha) tables
- Plenty of traffic from the US
Cons
- Relatively high rake
- No regular rakeback
3. Bovada – Illinois’ Best Zero Fee Crypto Gaming Site
- Website: https://www.bovada.lv/poker
- Poker Network: PaiWangLuo poker network
- Established: 2011
- License: Curaçao eGaming
- Deposit methods: Cryptocurrencies, Credit/Debit cards
- Average Daily Poker Traffic: 2,000
Poker Game Selection: 4.5/5
If you play Illinois poker online at Bovada, brace for standard poker room favorites like No Limit Hold’em and Pot Limit Omaha. The site also has Fixed Limit and Omaha Hi/Lo games that you can check out.
Poker Rakeback, Offers, and Promotions: 4.8/5
Bovada offers a 70% rakeback, valid while you clear the first deposit bonus. There is no fixed rakeback like at some online poker sites in Illinois. However, new players can collect a 100% poker welcome bonus of up to $500.
Poker Tournaments: 4.4/5
Bovada has multiple tournaments and sit-and-go events monthly. Regular event buy-ins start at $1, but this can easily go higher to accommodate sharks and high rollers.
If you want to try your hand at winning a big poker jackpot, then Bovada’s “Monthly Milly” could be the tournament for you with buy-ins of $535. However, don’t let that big buy-in be an obstacle, as Bovada gives you a wide range of Monthly Milly satellite tourneys where you can buy in for just $1 + $0.10.
Apart from that mega tourney, you can take part in jackpot sit-and-goes, turbo tournaments, and weekly guarantees.
The weekly guaranteed events have a prize pool of $100,000 up for grabs no matter how many players sign up, something not available on many other poker sites.
Most of the tourneys you find on Bovada use the “freeze out” format, which means once you lose your chip stack, you are out, no more chances to buy back in.
Deposit and Withdrawal Options: 4.5/5
You can use cryptocurrencies, vouchers, and cards to complete deposits and withdrawals at Bovada. We recommend Bitcoin because it’s available for withdrawals, and transactions are free.
Our Verdict: 4.5/5
Bovada has a free-flowing design that even new players can get around. The site is highly newbie-friendly, meaning you can expect soft traffic at the tables. Below is a more comprehensive breakdown of the pros and cons.
Pros
- Beginner-friendly features like random table seating
- $500 new player welcome bonus
- Free crypto deposits and withdrawals
Cons
- 15% charge on card payments
4. Everygame – High 36% Fixed Rakeback
- Website: https://poker.everygame.eu/
- Poker Network: Horizon Poker
- Established: 1996
- License: Curaçao
- Deposit methods: Crypto, Debit/Credit card, Neteller, Skrill
- Average Daily Poker Traffic: 300
Poker Game Selection: 4.4/5
Known initially as Intertops, Everygame is a beginner-friendly poker room offering Hold’em and Omaha cash games.
Poker Rakeback, Offers, and Promotions: 4.5/5
The Everygame poker rakeback is 36%, credited in $10 installments daily. You can also earn golden chips by moving up the loyalty ranks or completing missions. Apart from that, new players get a 200% welcome deposit of up to $1,000.
Poker Tournaments: 4.8/5
You can find tournaments here with a small $0.20 buy-in, but for the big weekly Sunday Myriad with a guaranteed pot of $10k, you must put up $125. However, seats to the Sunday Myriad can be won by a series of satellite events that take place throughout the week.
Other tournaments on the site include progressive bounty format events, as well as the Sunday Sundowner $10k guaranteed sit-and-go event.
Deposit and Withdrawal Options: 4.4/5
Funding your Evergame Poker account is a breeze, thanks to the site’s fast and easy payment processing. You can select from options like bank wire transfer, EcoPayz, Paysafe, Neteller, Skrill, Lite, Visa, and Mastercard.
Our Verdict: 4.5/5
Everygame may have less traffic than other poker rooms in Illinois, but it is still an excellent alternative for pros and serious amateurs. The high 36% rakeback and various bonuses make it easy for players to look past the dated aesthetic and relatively low cash game traffic.
Pros
- Low $0.02 poker blinds
- 36% rakeback
- Frequent player points converted to gold coins
- Accepts Skrill and Neteller
Cons
- Limited choice of games
- Relatively low traffic on cash games
5. Ignition – Newbie-friendly Anonymous Tables Feature
- Website: https://www.ignitioncasino.eu/poker
- Poker Network: Paiwangluo Poker
- Established: 2016
- License: Curaçao
- Deposit methods: Cryptocurrency, Visa, Mastercard
- Average Daily Poker Traffic: 12,000
Poker Game Selection: 4.2/5
Ignition offers No Limit Hold’em and Pot Limit Omaha. This is a beginner-friendly site where you can play anonymously using a seat number for identification.
Poker Rakeback, Offers, and Promotions: 4.0/5
There is no rakeback here. The site does have a profitable welcome bonus, with a 150% deposit match of up to $1,500.
Poker Tournaments: 4.6/5
The highlight of the week for Iginition poker fans is the Sunday $200k guaranteed No Limit Texas Hold’em format event, which forms part of the weekly $2,000,000 guaranteed across all of the Iginition poker tournaments.
Another big draw for players of all levels is the “Triple Header” which is another Sunday event with three separate tourneys.
- The Warm-Up event – $10K GTD with a $10 + $1 buy-in which is great for less experienced players
- The Kickoff event – $75K GTD with a $100 + $9 buy-in for your more serious poker players
- The Main Event – $150K GTD with a $1000 + $55 buy-in for the real poker sharks out there.
Ignition Poker also holds plenty of bounty, satellite, and sit-and-go tourneys throughout the week with lots of opportunities to qualify for the Sunday triple-header events.
Deposit and Withdrawal Options: 4.4/5
Funding your Illinois online poker account will take only minutes. Ignition fully supports crypto and also processes Visa and Mastercard deposits.
Our Verdict: 4.5/5
Ignition is a newbie-facing site that offers anonymous gameplay. You don’t have to worry about sharks trolling your activity online while trying to learn how to play online poker. Quick random seats are available where you can continuously play with new players. The site also offers a hand history feature that you can use to analyze your game over time. More pros and cons are available below.
Pros
- Anonymous gameplay available
- Freerolls available weekly
- Massive tournaments, some with $ 1 million guaranteed
Cons
- No rakeback
6. Juicy Stakes – Best Poker Room in Illinois for Instant Transaction Processing
- Website: https://www.juicystakes.eu/
- Poker Network: Horizon Poker
- Established: 2009
- License: Curaçao
- Deposit methods: Neteller, Skrill, Credit/Debit cards, Crypto
- Average Daily Poker Traffic: 300
Poker Game Selection: 4.2/5
Juicy Stakes is another online Illinois poker site on the Horizon poker network, along with Everygame and a few other smaller rooms. The site is famous for its cash games, 6/9-max No-Limit Hold’em, and Pot Limit Omaha, among other games.
Poker Rakeback, Offers, and Promotions: 4.1/5
Juicy Stakes shares the same rake, rakeback, and promotions as Everygame. Rakeback is determined by the amount of rake extracted. A $1 rake will get you one frequent player point (FPP). In tournaments, the same $1 will get you seven FPPs.
Poker Tournaments: 4.5/5
At Juicy Stakes, you can take part in both low-stakes and high-stakes games and for the serious players, the Sunday Myriad is the perfect opportunity to win big. This comprises three No Limit Hold’em events, each with a guaranteed $10,000 pot.
Each of these has a buy-in of $115 with a traditional Deepstack tourney first up, followed by a progressive bounty where your buy-in is split $65 + 50 with the first portion going to the prize pool and the second portion going to the bounty pool.
Finally, the third tourney is the “Big Bounty” where $40 goes to the prize pot and a juicy (pun intended) $75 goes to the bounty pool.
Small stakes players are also well catered for with a wide range of tournaments to play, with buy-ins starting as low as just $0.25 with prize multipliers of up to 1000x your buy-in.
Deposit and Withdrawal Options: 4.0/5
Illinois poker fans have various options for deposits and withdrawals. These include Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, Visa, Mastercard, eZeeWallet, and more. Lightning Bitcoin offers instant processing for as little as $5.
Our Verdict: 3.9/5
Juicy Stakes is a relatively small poker room compared to the other sites on this list. However, it uses the established Horizon Poker network, making it a viable option for serious beginners and some professionals. Let’s look at some pros and cons of joining this site.
Pros
- 36% Rakeback available when you contact customer support
- Multiple payment options like Lightning Bitcoin, Cash to Code, eZeeWallet
- Sunday Myriad tournament with $10k guaranteed prize money
- 200% first deposit bonus up to $1,000
Cons
- Relatively low traffic
7. ACR – Top Online Poker Site with up to 65% Rakeback
- Website: https://www.acrpoker.eu/
- Poker Network: Winning Poker
- Established: 2001
- License: Costa Rica
- Deposit methods: Bitcoin, Visa, Mastercard
- Average Daily Poker Traffic: 1,100
Poker Game Selection: 4.8/5
One of the best Illinois online poker sites, America’s Cardroom carries a vast range of Texas Hold ’em and Pot Limit Omaha games. This site is a grinder’s dream, not only because of the Stud Poker and PLO Hi/Lo variants available, but you can find more than 5000 players on the tables here at peak times.
Poker Rakeback, Offers, and Promotions: 4.4/5
ACR’s rakeback works somewhat differently from other sites. You can select a fixed rakeback of 27% or up to 65% in a progressive model. The lower amount is worth it if you are a new player or amateur playing here and there. But grinders can enjoy a high rakeback of up to 65% in the second offer.
Poker Tournaments: 4.6/5
You are in good company at ACR if you are looking for a massive tournament grid with loads of MTT events.
ACR (America’s Cardroom) is pushing the boundaries in terms of their $12.5 million Venom tournament, and the great thing about this event is that it has a huge range of satellites available for players to try and qualify, with buy-ins starting at just $1
With more than one hundred tourneys to choose from each day and lots of freeroll action for beginners, ACR has something for all levels of players. Schedules cover different formats, so you will find something to get stuck into whether it’s HU, NLH, PLO, or 9-max.
You can choose from many tournament types including turbo sit and go’s, deep stack chip events, and lots of mega bounty events, with all of these are available with low buy-ins.
The recent Venom event which concluded on April 28th, 2024 ended with a prize pool of just over $12.6 million, and the top three players all bagged over a million dollars each, with the victor Dominik Nitsche netting a huge $1,808,044.
Deposit and Withdrawal Options: 4.5/5
ACR supports a collection of cryptos, including popular coins like Bitcoin and Ethereum. Illinois players can also use Visa and Mastercard to complete transactions in and out. In addition, money transfer services like Western Union and Moneygram are also valid payment channels.
Our Verdict: 4.3/5
This site has a little bit of everything for everyone. New players and serious amateurs can take advantage of the fixed 27% rakeback, but sharks can get as much as 65%. Most sites do not offer this much rakeback, but America’s Cardroom sweetens the deal even further by requesting a low $25 minimum deposit and applying a 60-day expiry on the welcome bonus. Here are some more ACR pros and cons.
Pros
- High 65% rakeback
- Accepts over 66 cryptos and money transfer services
- No fees on Bitcoin payments
- High traffic with 5000 players at peak times
Cons
- Shark-infested tables
- No native iOS app
Illinois Online Poker Sites Compared
Many sites offer online poker in Illinois, but we have included seven of the best. The table below compares these top 7 casinos on the rack rate, software, and availability of rakeback.
| Online Poker Room | Poker Rake % | Poker Network | Rakeback (Yes/No) | Multi Table Events (Yes/No) | Sit and Go Events (Yes/No) | Freeroll Events (Yes/No) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CoinPoker | 5% | Independent | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| BetOnline | 5.56% | Chico Poker | ❌ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Bovada | 5-10% | Paiwangluo Poker | ❌ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Everygame | 5-6.67% | Horizon | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Ignition | 5-10% | Paiwangluo Poker | ❌ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Juicy Stakes | 5-6.67% | Horizon Poker | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| ACR | 5-10% | Winning Poker | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
How We Rate Online Poker Sites in Illinois
Illinois online poker rooms have many moving parts, so detailed criteria are required when searching for the best ones. Our poker review experts have developed a rating system that considers what the poker room offers and what players look forward to when they sign up.
Poker Games, Tournaments, and traffic
A key consideration for any poker player is the available games. We check online poker sites to ensure they offer the classic variants of No-limit Hold’em, Omaha, and Omaha Hi/Lo. In fairness, most do, so we also rank online poker sites based on the availability of different versions of these games. Lastly, network traffic is important because who wants to be stuck at an empty poker site?
Poker Bonuses/Rakeback/Promotions
People want to know what they get when signing up and playing. Therefore, we want to let them know that we have explored various bonus options to deliver them the best for their initial deposit. Because, mind you, online poker bonuses reach far beyond the welcome bonus, and include factors like rakebacks and bad beat jackpots.
Network rake and HUD support
We do not just look at the rakeback in isolation. This is important because it directly affects the total amount of money going into the overall pot. Other factors like HUD support are top of our concerns since sharks and new players view them differently.
Deposit & Withdrawal Options
The availability of good payment options with good payout speeds is important when you are playing real money online poker in Illinois. In this regard, we examine if the payment option is a worthwhile alternative for players in the US and if you can reliably use it to transfer funds.
Safety and Security
Chief on our list of considerations is also your safety and security. The last thing we want is to recommend an unsafe site that cannot protect your funds and data. So, we ensure all the poker rooms on our site are regulated and licensed in trusted jurisdictions.
Customer Support
Reliable customer support is critical, especially when gambling online in Illinois for real money. Our poker room experts like to see operators that offer various support channels and avail their services 24 hours a day.
Online Poker Tournaments in Illinois
Here is a selection of the types of online poker tournaments that residents of Illinois can play at offshore sites.
These tournaments draw large crowds and are played by a massive pool of players. All participants must buy in at the same fee and receive equal starting stacks. Your objective in these tournaments is to win as many hands as possible to earn a seat at the final table.
These are qualifying events held before a main tournament. Satellite tournaments take place before a big event, and if you win or place in the top group of players, you earn a ticket. The WSOP (World Series of Poker) is an excellent example of an event where you can qualify through satellite tournaments.
This is one of the most popular online poker tournament types. As the name implies, sit-and-go tournaments are quick single-table events with 9 to 10 players. These mini tourneys usually take 1-2 hours, and If you want to play online poker in Illinois under this format, you just find a seat at the table and play until winning or until you are knocked out (sit and go).
In this type of tournament, players have a bounty placed on them at the beginning of the tournament. So less experienced players will have a lower bounty because they are easier to knock out, while the pros and experienced players will have a higher bounty because they are more difficult to knock out.
Some players only play these tournaments because they can make extra cash from the bounties, even if they do not win the actual event.
Poker Software Used at Online Poker Sites in Illinois
Online Poker in Illinois is a competitive market, so it’s unsurprising to see top game providers claiming a portion of the market share. This table reveals these game providers and the games they supply.
| Poker Room | Poker Network | Games Provided |
|---|---|---|
| CoinPoker | TGLab | Texas Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha, 5-card Pot Limit Omaha |
| BetOnline | PaiWangLuo (formerly Bodog Poker) | Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Seven Card Stud |
| Bovada | Chico Poker | Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, Draw Poker |
| Everygame | Horizon Poker | No Limit Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha |
| Ignition | PaiWangLuo (formerly Bodog Poker) | Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo |
| Juicy Stakes | Horizon Poker | No Limit Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha, Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo |
| ACR | Winning Poker | Pot Limit Omaha, Omaha, Mo limit Texas Hold’em, Stud, Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo |
How to Sign Up and Play at Illinois Online Poker Sites
Now that you know how to play online poker in Illinois and the games and tournaments available, here are step-by-step instructions on registering an account. We have used CoinPoker as an example for this walkthrough on what you need to do to play online poker in Illinois.
Step 1 - Visit the CoinPoker Website
The First step is to go to the CoinPoker website and in the top right corner you need to click on the red “Register” button.Step 2 - Complete the Registration Form
Fill in the quick registration form by adding in your email, a nickname or poker alias, and your desired password and then click the red “Sign Up” button at the bottom of the form.Step 3 - Verify Your Email and Download
Once you have completed the form, you’ll see the screen below. You can download the poker software by clicking the red “Download” button. Then just head over to your email to verify your email address.Step 4 - Verify Your Email
Final step is to click on the link in the email sent by CoinPoker. You can see that in the image below. Just click the link and you are ready to get started playing your first tourneys on CoinPoker.
Illinois Poker Updates
Poker is still to be fully legalized in the state, and below you can see some of the key bills and updates surrounding gambling legislation in the Prairie State.
Top 3 Land-Based Casinos and Poker Rooms in Illinois
It’s not only about poker online gaming in Illinois. The state boasts some of the best in-person locations to play poker. Here are three of the best.
250 S Grove Ave, Elgin, IL 60120
20 Tables
Three-card Poker | Ultimate Texas Hold’em | Mississippi Stud |
1 W New York St, Aurora, IL 60506
5 Tables
Limit Hold’em | No Limit Hold’em
3000 S River Rd, Des Plaines, IL 60018
22 Tables
Texas Hold’em | Omaha | Stud Poker
Bonuses on Offer at Online Poker Sites in Illinois
The range of bonuses available in Illinois online poker rooms differs from what you will get in online casinos because you usually have low figures and unique rakeback mechanics here. But there’s still plenty of chances to get something extra. The table below shows the options you typically come across when you sign up and play poker online.
| Bonus Type | Info | Perfect for |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome bonus | The welcome offer is usually a match bonus where the poker room matches your deposit | Poker beginners |
| Rakeback | An incentive that returns to you a portion of the rake | Regulars and serious recreational players |
| No deposit | You can get this bonus with nothing down. An example is the royal flush bonus, which pays out a no-deposit bonus if you hit a royal flush | Experienced players |
Compare Bonuses at Illinois Online Poker Rooms
The best online casino in Illinois does not necessarily have the most games or tourneys; bonuses and promotions also play a crucial part. It’s the same with online poker rooms, where you will find offers like rakeback and new player bonuses. Here is a snapshot of what Illinois online poker rooms offer.
| Online Casino | Bonus | Bonus Code | Rollover) | Minimum Deposit | Crypto accepted? | Bonus expiry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CoinPoker | 100% Up To ₮1100 Bonus | NA | 50% Rakeback (2x Playthrough | Qualifying deposit required | ✔️ | 60 days |
| BetOnline | 100% up to $1,000 | POKER1000 | $50 rake to release $5 in bonus cash | $50 | ✔️ | 30 days |
| Bovada | 100% up to $500 | PWB500 | 150 points to release $5 | $5 USDT | ✔️ | 30 days |
| Everygame | 200% up to $1,000 match bonus | 1000EGP | Rake $12 in MTTs to release $5 of your bonus | $20 | ✔️ | 90 days |
| Ignition | 150% up to $1,500 | NA | Unlocked at a rate of $1 for every 30 Ignition Miles earned in Poker. Credited upon exiting a cash game table or finishing a Poker Tournament. | $5 USDT | ✔️ | 180 days |
| Juicy Stakes | 200% up to $1,000 | 1000JUICY | 83.335 FPP for every $5 increment | $25 | ✔️ | 90 days |
| ACR | 100% bonus of up to $2000 | NA | $1 increments for every 27.5 points earned | $25 | ✔️ | 60 days |
Best Poker Games in Illinois
With a population of well over 12 million residents, it’s no surprise The Prairie State is home to some of the most known faces in poker, like Connor Drinan, Mohsin Charania, Aaron Massey, and Ryan Tosoc. Here, we review some of the most popular poker variants that have made these players household names.
Best Poker Games:
- No Limit Texas Hold’em
- Omaha
- Pot Limit Omaha
- Omaha Hi-Lo
- Seven Card Stud
- Five Card Draw
This is the most common variant in Illinois online poker rooms. It starts with players receiving two cards face-down, followed by five community cards separated by four betting rounds. No-limit Texas Hold’em is famous for its large swings and massive pots since players can wager any amount.
Omaha borrows many concepts from standard Texas Hold’em but with a unique twist. Instead of two community cards, in Omaha, you will receive four. This makes the entire game more complex, where players must account for additional possible card combinations that may result.
Like classic Omaha, you also get four-hole cards when the game starts. The object of the Pot Limit Omaha game is to use two of those four hole cards and any three community cards to make the most attractive poker hand. In PLO, the size of the pot determines your maximum bet.
Omaha Hi-Lo is also a perfect starting point for online poker beginners. It works under the same principles as classic Omaha but vastly differs in how the showdown is administered. Hands are ranked depending on standard poker hand rankings, and then there is the second showdown to determine the lowest-ranked hand. Each winner collects half of the pot.
Players get two hole cards in a seven-card stud, and one face-up community card is placed in the center before betting can commence. Three more cards follow, face-up, with betting rounds in between. The river is the last to be dealt, face-down, which signals the last betting round. Then comes the showdown, where each player must reveal their cards.
Five card draw is one of the most straightforward poker variants you can play and, therefore, is ideal for new players just starting. First, each player gets five cards facedown, one at a time. The draw leg occurs, where players replace cards from their hands with new cards from the deck – each followed by a betting round.
Poker Games Available at Online Poker Sites in Illinois
You must have a firm handle on the games available at Illinois poker sites before you start playing. Texas Hold’em is undoubtedly the most popular variant, but the Illinois poker rooms have several options. Learn more in the table below.
| Poker Room | No Limit Texas Hold’em | Omaha | Pot Limit Omaha | Omaha Hi-Lo | Seven Card Stud | Five Card Draw |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CoinPoker | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| BetOnline | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Bovada | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Everygame | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Ignition | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Juicy Stakes | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ |
| ACR | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ |
Payment Options for Illinois Online Poker Sites
Offshore poker rooms offer the best online gambling in Illinois, but this would not be possible without the support of reliable payment options. Crypto is available in all the poker rooms we review here, and other methods provide several unique benefits. Let’s look at what you can expect when you sign up.
| Payment Method | Info | Pros | Cons | Popular examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crypto | The best online gambling sites in Illinois accept crypto for deposits and withdrawals | Fast payouts
No fee transactions |
Crypto wallet required
May be affected by price volatility |
Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, USDT |
| Traditional | Offers a safe and reliable payment gateway | Used for many online transactions
Safe transaction processing |
Fees may apply
Relatively longer payout times |
Visa, Mastercard, Discover |
| eWallets | A safe option for poker players who don’t want to divulge their bank details | Safe payment method
Quick payment processing |
May not be available at some Illinois poker rooms | eZeeWallet, Payz |
Poker In The Other States
Related Poker Guides
Final Thoughts
Regulated online poker in Illinois has yet to be made available. However, players can enjoy games like No Limit Texas Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha, and Five Card Draw at offshore online poker rooms that accept players from Illinois.
This guide highlights six of the best real-money poker apps in Illinois. According to our poker experts, CoinPoker has become the firm favorite. The site is fantastic for beginners and serious amateurs and bans Hold’em Manager / PokerTracker, which sharks use.
Getting started at CoinPoker is as simple as creating an account, making a qualifying deposit, and playing your favorite poker variants. You can use the link below to get started.
Sign up To Claim 150% Deposit Bonus Up To $2,000
- The main CSOP tournament series guarantees $1,000,000 in prize money
- Low and high-stakes tables are always available, 33% Rakeback
- No KYC process, decentralized blockchain poker
Responsible Gambling
The question of when online poker will be legal in Illinois is anyone’s guess, but as we have revealed in this guide, offshore online poker rooms are bridging the gap. But when playing poker in Illinois, offshore, or elsewhere, you must protect yourself by playing responsibly. A range of resources are available in the state that you can use to educate yourself and those around you.
