No, Illinois doesn’t license any online poker sites. The Illinois Gaming Board sent cease and desist letters to 65 sweepstakes and offshore operators in February 2026, and Stake.us left the state in May. ClubWPT Gold and offshore CoinPoker still accept Illinois sign-ups, but neither is licensed or protected by the state.
Last updated: October 29th, 2026
Where Illinois Players Can Play Online Today
Your options shrank this year. Stake.us moved Illinois accounts to redeem-only on May 19, 2026, so it’s no longer on this page.
Two rooms on our list still accept sign-ups from Illinois, one sweepstakes site and one offshore site.
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Trusted brand CoinPoker is an offshore room. It runs cash games and tournaments around the clock, and you can deposit by card or crypto. You can read our full CoinPoker review before you sign up.
ClubWPT Gold is the World Poker Tour’s sweepstakes poker site. It still lists Illinois as an eligible state for poker. Its casino-style mini games aren’t offered in Illinois, so you only get the poker side.
The current offers and codes are in the boxes above.
CoinPoker isn’t licensed by Illinois or any other US state, so the Illinois Gaming Board can’t help you if you have a dispute. Only deposit what you’re comfortable having on a site without state oversight.
Illinois Online Poker at a Glance
| State-licensed online poker | No |
|---|---|
| Sweepstakes poker | RestrictedThe Gaming Board sent cease and desist letters in February 2026. Stake.us left, ClubWPT Gold still accepts Illinois |
| Offshore sites | AvailableNot licensed in Illinois |
| Live poker | YesLegal at licensed casinos |
| Minimum age | 21 |
| Regulator | Illinois Gaming Board |
| Last change | May 2026, Stake.us stopped play in Illinois |
What Changed for Sweepstakes Poker in Illinois
Sweepstakes poker used to be the simple answer for Illinois. The Gaming Board made it a lot less simple in 2026.
- May 2026. Stake.us stopped play in Illinois on May 19 and put local accounts in redeem-only mode. Players could still log in and cash out their balances. Source, Pokerfuse, March 26, 2026
- February 2026. The Illinois Gaming Board sent cease and desist letters to 65 operators it says offer illegal online gambling. Global Poker and Stake.us were on the list. ClubWPT Gold and Clubs Poker weren’t. Source, Pokerfuse, February 12, 2026
- January 2026. The Gaming Board said unlicensed sweepstakes operators are “not welcome in Illinois”. Source, Sweepsy, January 6, 2026
The letters lean on the Illinois criminal code’s section on internet gambling, 720 ILCS 5/28-1. They told operators to block Illinois residents or stop offering cash and prizes.
Illinois hasn’t passed a law that bans sweepstakes games. A Senate bill that would narrow the “no purchase necessary” defense for internet games, SB 3439, was sent back to committee in May 2026 and hasn’t moved since.
So the pressure comes from the regulator, not a new statute. Rooms still listed here accept Illinois under their own terms. That can change quickly, so check each site’s restricted list before you buy anything.
If you still have a balance on a site that left, log in and check its redemption page.
Can I Play PokerStars, WSOP or GGPoker in Illinois?
No. PokerStars, WSOP Online and BetMGM Poker only run in states that license online poker, and Illinois isn’t one of them. GGPoker doesn’t accept US players at all.
Those sites work as long as you’re physically inside a state that licenses them. Michigan is a short drive from Chicago, and WSOP, BetMGM and PokerStars all run there. See our Michigan poker guide.
Live Poker in Illinois
Live poker is legal at Illinois casinos, and the bigger rooms sit around Chicago.
- Rivers Casino in Des Plaines, the biggest room in the state
- Grand Victoria Casino in Elgin, home to a WSOP-branded poker room
- Hard Rock Casino Rockford in Rockford
You need to be 21 to play. Rooms open and close, so check the casino’s site for hours and games before you drive out.
Chicago players also cross into northwest Indiana, where Horseshoe Hammond runs a big room. See our Indiana poker guide.
Will Illinois Legalize Online Poker?
There’s interest, but nothing has passed. In 2026 lawmakers filed an Internet Gaming Act in both chambers, HB 4797 in the House and SB 3723 in the Senate. A separate House bill on online poker, HB 4802, was filed as a shell with no real text yet.
All three were parked in the House Rules Committee or Senate Assignments, which is where Illinois bills go when leaders aren’t ready to move them. The House bill would have let Illinois join the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement, the compact that lets Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and three other states share poker players.
Illinois already has legal online sports betting, so the pieces aren’t far off. Still, none of the 2026 bills got a committee vote, so we don’t expect a change soon.
We check this page every month and we’ll update it the day that changes.
Nearby States
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Illinois has busy live games, from Des Plaines to Elgin. Fewer online options doesn’t have to mean a weaker game, and the players who win there study between sessions.
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Is online poker legal in Illinois?
Illinois doesn’t license any online poker sites. A sweepstakes site and an offshore room still accept Illinois players, but neither is approved by the state.
Can you play online poker for real money in Illinois?
Only on offshore sites such as CoinPoker. There’s no state-regulated real money poker site in Illinois.
Are sweepstakes poker sites legal in Illinois?
Illinois hasn’t passed a law banning them, but the Illinois Gaming Board treats many of them as illegal gambling and sent cease and desist letters to 65 operators in February 2026.
Is ClubWPT Gold available in Illinois?
Yes. ClubWPT Gold still lists Illinois as an eligible state for poker. Its casino-style mini games aren’t offered there.
Is Stake.us still available in Illinois?
No. Stake.us stopped play in Illinois on May 19, 2026 and now excludes the state in its terms. Players were left able to redeem their balances.
Is Global Poker available in Illinois?
Global Poker received a cease and desist letter from the Gaming Board in February 2026. It isn’t one of the rooms we list for Illinois, so check its own restricted list if you’re thinking of using it.
Is CoinPoker legal in Illinois?
CoinPoker isn’t licensed in Illinois. It’s an offshore site that accepts sign-ups from the state. We aren’t lawyers, but what’s certain is that you don’t get state protection there.
Can I play WSOP or PokerStars online in Illinois?
No. They only run in states that license online poker. You can play them while you’re physically in Michigan, which is the closest state that has them.
What’s the legal age for poker in Illinois?
It’s 21 at Illinois casinos.
Where can I play live poker in Illinois?
At licensed casinos. Rivers Casino in Des Plaines is the largest room, and there are also rooms at Grand Victoria in Elgin and Hard Rock in Rockford.
When will Illinois legalize online poker?
Internet gaming bills were filed in 2026 but none got a vote, so it doesn’t look likely soon.
21+ only. Gambling can be addictive. If it’s causing problems for you or someone you know, call the Illinois Gambling Helpline at 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) or text ILGAMB to 833234. This page contains affiliate links, and we may earn a commission if you sign up through them. That never decides which sites we list, which only depends on whether a site accepts players from Illinois.
