Illinois Casinos & Gambling Laws
Illinois offers a wide diversity of gambling. It’s racing industry is the first to get into the market, and dates back to the Great Depression. The Illinois Lottery was also one of the first in the Midwest. There are several high-end Illinois casinos that offer video lottery. The state of Illinois issued over 1,000 gaming licenses during the year ending March 31, 2014, which is a 11% increase on the previous year. This represents the highest number of gaming licenses issued since the passage of the Illinois Gaming Machine Act in 2003. The state also issued over 4,600 gaming permits, a 1.4% increase on the previous year.
The first gaming license was awarded to Rock-It Gaming LLC, the gaming arm of gaming giant Wynn Las Vegas, Inc. In November 2012, The Gaming Board approved a $100,000,000 incentive program to award up to 1,000 gaming permits in the coming years. The total potential for new gaming licenses and permits is greater than the current amount of active gaming licenses in the United States, with a total of 10,000 pending permits. Casinos in Illinois offer an attractive option to gamblers. They are located throughout Illinois, offer the latest in technology and security, and are often considered safer for customers than other places of entertainment. The only major difference is that the owners of most Illinois casino properties (except racetracks) are also the owners of the state’s racetracks. These casinos operate with the full consent of the State’s Office of the Secretary of State.
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Popular Casino Games
Some Illinois casinos allow patrons to gamble on a machine and win a certain amount of money for each dollar they spend. Some casinos, such as the Illinois Riverboat, also offer table games such as blackjack. The rules of the casinos in Illinois can be complicated, but they are generally in line with federal laws.
Illinois Gambling laws
As of January 1, 2016, Illinois’ gambling laws have been amended to expand online gambling. The legislation was passed in March 2015 and came into effect on January 1, 2016. Illinois casinos run under the Riverboat Gambling Act, which was passed in 1990. These boats were then required to be on the water. They had to leave the dock for about two hours in the first ten years of their operation.
Bingo operatives must be charities. A $200 fee for an annual license is also required. The supreme prize per contest should be $500. The supreme prize pool in a day is $2,250. Illinois makes it a crime to run a game of chance online. The only omission to this is the Illinois Lottery. The state lottery is allowed to sell lotto tickets on its website. The minimum legal bookmaking age in Illinois is 21 years for casinos and the bar video poker patrons. Racing and Lottery have a minimum gambling age of 18 years.
How Web Gambling Will Be Implemented
The state of Illinois has introduced online gaming regulations for both “slot machine” and “blackjack” casinos. The two types of casinos will be regulated separately. The “slot machine” casinos are subject to the same type of federal regulation as casinos currently operated by other states. The new rules include limits on the number of machines that can be operated simultaneously and other restrictions.
The new rules also impose additional requirements for gaming machines that differ from a similar bill that failed to pass in the Illinois Legislature in 2011. The new law will also include “age verification,” a system where the operator verifies the age of players before allowing them to gamble. The law will also require the state to have a licensing system.
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
List of Illinois Casinos
| CASINO | SIZE | ADDRESS | WEBSITE |
| Argosy Casino – Alton | 1,100 Slot Machines | 1 Piasa Street | www.argosyalton.com |
| Casino Queen – East St. Louis | 1,100 Slot Machines | 200 South Front Street | www.casinoqueen.com |
| Grand Victoria Casino – Elgin | 1,100 Slot Machines | 250 S. Grove Ave. | www.grandvictoriacasino.com |
| Harrah’s Casino – Joliet | 1,188 Slot Machines | 151 N. Joliet St. | www.caesars.com/harrahs-joliet |
| Harrah’s Metropolis Casino | 1,145 Slot Machines | 100 East Front Street | https://www.caesars.com/harrahs-metropolis |
| Hollywood Casino – Aurora | 1,160 Slot Machines | 49 W. Galena Blvd. | www.hollywoodcasinoaurora.com |
| Jumer’s Casino – Rock Island | 1,100 Slot Machines | 777 Jumer Dr. | www.jumerscasinohotel.com |
| Par-A-Dice Casino – East Peoria | 1,100 Slot Machines | 21 Blackjack Blvd. | www.paradicecasino.com |
| Rivers Casino – Des Plaines | 1,050 Slot Machines | 3000 S. River Rd. | www.riverscasino.com |
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