How To Get An Online Gambling License
- How To Get An Online Gambling License
- How To Get An Online Gambling License Requirements
- How To Get An Online Gambling License Online
- How To Get An Online Gambling License For Real
NOTICE: The DIA website is available only for filing an online annual gambling report. If you want to apply for a social or charitable gambling license, you will need to fill out a paper application. Please download the appropriate application below and mail the completed packet including payment to our office. An online gambling license is a crucial factor for opening a legal business. The license demonstrates that your company a trustworthy and reliable one. With online gambling license, you avoid future problems with laws and also gain the trust of your customers. Therefore, it is also crucial to get certification from authorities before opening.
It is a glorious time to gamble in Illinois. The Land of Lincoln has casinos, sportsbooks, horsetracks, and a host of other gaming options available.
Obviously, the buzz both inside Illinois and around the US is about sports betting. However, Illinois also has other gambling options including sweepstake casinos, lottery and horse racing.
This page will provide you with the latest news on Illinois gambling laws, what and how sweepstakes sites work and what you can expect to see when it comes to Illinois online casinos.
Sweepstakes casinos accepting Illinois players
Latest Illinois Gambling Updates
Last update: March 8, 2021
Customers will continue to have the ability to sign up for sports betting accounts from home. Gov. JB Pritzker recently announced he has once again extended mobile registration till April 3.
Additionally, Churchill Downs has decided to sellArlington International Racecourse.
Churchill is a current applicant for the Waukegan casino license so experts have speculated Churchill plans to transfer its gaming license.
Other applicants for the Waukegan license are Full House Resorts and North Point Casino.
Is online gambling legal in Illinois?
Yes, but only sweepstakes casinos.
There are several different ways that you can gamble online in Illinois. However, two notable exceptions are online casinos and online poker.
Illinois has not approved laws for either type of site just yet. The good news, though, is that with nearby states with online casinos and poker up and running (Michigan), Illinois lawmakers will be able to observe the positive effect on the state’s bottom line and, naturally, want the same for themselves.
So, although online casinos and poker are not part of Illinois’ offerings just yet, they are probably not too far away from becoming a reality.
Sweepstakes sites and playing online casino games in IL
One option that may tide you over until there is a move to regulate IL online casinos and poker sites, is a sweepstakes site. If you’ve never heard about sweepstakes casino and poker sites before, they may seem a bit hard to believe. You can play some pretty entertaining online slots in Illinois, and it’s completely legal.
Your top options for sweepstakes sites in Illinois are the following:
- Global Poker (online poker)
Sweepstakes are present everywhere. Technically, these sites belong in the same category as PCH or the fast-food sweepstakes. Essentially, as long as you can play for free and the prizes are awarded as advertised, the site is good to go. Sweepstakes sites are able to offer a host of online casino games and poker through a dual-currency system that allows their classification to remain valid. You can win real cash prizes at these sites.
So, here are some of the options you have at your disposal:
- Slot games – These are indistinguishable from their online casino counterparts. They can be played with both play money and real money equivalents, and offer big payouts and progressive jackpots in the same way as a normal online casino would. You can also find video poker games on sweepstakes sites, too.
- Table games – Options for table games are decidedly more limited, but you can still find them if you prefer to play that way. Obviously, blackjack is the most common game to find, but you can also see options for roulette, keno, and Caribbean stud poker on various sites.
- Online Poker – Poker games are almost exclusively found on Global Poker, unsurprisingly. Global offers the ability to play no-limit Texas hold’em, pot-limit Omaha, and Crazy Pineapple in cash game, tournament, and sit-n-go formats.
When you first play on one of these sites, the dual currencies might be a bit hard to grasp. However, after the shock wears off, you’ll find that many of these sites do quite well as stopgaps until Illinois gets online casino gambling and poker in earnest. For that matter, you may even find that the sweepstakes sites are great options in their own right, anyway.
Illinois gambling laws
There are multiple types of gambling that Illinois inhabitants can enjoy. Both online and land-based options abound, and the list of opportunities is growing longer each month.
Riverboat casinos have been a fixture in the Land of Lincoln for more than thirty years. There are 10 different floating properties scattered throughout Illinois, although most are clustered around Chicago and St. Louis, the latter of which is just across the Mississippi River in Missouri.
Alongside the riverboats are scads of locations with video gaming terminals (VGTs). VGTs are electronic lottery machines that have little difference, functionally, from a regular slot machine. They have been part of life in Illinois since 2009 and gained full legal status thanks to the massive expansion of gambling in 2019.
That expansion also ushered both online and retail sports betting into Illinois. Retail sports betting is now present at a majority of Illinois’ riverboat casinos, is available at racetracks and OTBs, and may even be available at major sports arenas throughout the state.
There are also multiple active sportsbook apps in Illinois right now. That number is certain to grow, and the sunsetting of the in-person registration requirement in September 2021 should only make the Prairie State a more attractive market for other sports betting companies.
Finally, it is also possible to play the Illinois Lottery, bet on horseraces, and engage in daily fantasy sports through your mobile devices and computers in Illinois. So, there is no shortage of options for Illinois residents and visitors who want to join the fun.
Other forms of legal gambling
Online sports betting launched in Illinois in June 2020. BetRivers Sportsbook, which is owned by Rush Street Interactive (which also owns Rivers Des Plaines), became the first sports betting app to launch in Illinois. Since then, multiple apps have joined the party, including: DraftKings, FanDuel, PointsBet, and William Hill.
Alongside online sports betting, Illinois residents and visitors are also able to bet on horse races through the TVG racing site. Online horse betting is available in the Prairie State through a variety of sites.
Finally, Illinoisans and guests to the state can also play in daily fantasy sports play if they choose. An Illinois Supreme Court ruling in April 2020 definitively identified DFS as not gambling and has legitimized the notion of playing the game in some capacity in Illinois.
Casino and riverboat locations in Illinois
The most obvious places to play in Illinois are its casinos. Each casino, at the time of its construction, was required to be on water. So, most of the casino options are riverboats moored permanently on waterways. However, there is at least one casino (Rivers Des Plaines) that is simply resting in a shallow pit filled with water.
The casinos each offer different options for gaming, but, in general, they have slot machines and table games in many varieties. Whether they have sports betting and poker onsite is a different matter, however. Here are all the riverboat casino locations in Illinois:
- Argosy Casino Alton – Alton*
- DraftKings at Casino Queen – East St. Louis*
- Grand Victoria Casino – Elgin ‡
- Harrah’s Joliet Casino & Hotel – Joliet †
- Harrah’s Metropolis Casino & Hotel – Metropolis
- Hollywood Casino Aurora – Aurora ‡
- Hollywood Casino Joliet – Joliet*
- Jumer’s Casino & Hotel – Rock Island †
- Par-A-Dice Hotel Casino – East Peoria*
- Rivers Casino Des Plaines – Des Plaines*
*Sportsbook onsite
†Poker room onsite
‡Both sportsbook and poker room onsite
All 10 have a variety of slots, including reel slots and progressive slots, plus video poker.
Illinois law does not permit casinos to remain open 24 hours, which means most will close their doors for two to four hours each day during the early morning.
The Illinois Gambling Act authorizes six additional casinos to be built in Illinois in the following locations:
- Chicago
- Danville
- Waukegan
- Rockford
- Williamson County (near Carbondale)
- Cook County in either Bloom, Bremen, Calumet, Rich, Thornton or Worth
The new law also allows the riverboat casinos to finally become land-based casinos after paying a fee and obtaining regulators’ approval to do so.
The existing casinos will be allowed to expand their operations from 1,200 to 2,000 “gaming positions” should they desire, with such expansion also requiring the payment of a position fee for every added position.
Meanwhile, the new Chicago “mega-casino” will be much bigger, with 4,000 gaming positions.
Illinois video gaming terminals
Since 2009, video gaming terminals, or VGTs, have been available throughout Illinois at licensed retail establishments.
You’ll often find them in establishments with liquor licenses like restaurants, bars, convenience stores and hotels. Truck stops and fraternal or veteran’s organizations with national charters also have them.
The law initially allowed each establishment up to five VGTs in one location. However, the Illinois Gambling Act amended the Video Gaming Act to increase that number to six while also allowing “large truck stops” to operate up to 10 VGTs.
Other changes to the law include increasing the maximum bet (from $2 to $4), increasing the maximum win (from $500 to $1,199), the authorization of progressive jackpots and an increase in the tax imposed from 30% to 33%.
The VGTs are housed in stand-alone, slant-top cabinets or upright cabinets set on a base such as a bar.
The machines are very much like video slots. However, unlike the slots in casinos, each VGT typically features a wide variety of games from which to choose, including slots and video poker games.
In late 2019 there were more than 6,800 establishments with VGTs in Illinois, making the state the country’s leader by a wide margin over Nevada, which has around 2,000 locations.
Responsible gambling in Illinois
Illinois has several measures in place to protect and assist problem gamblers.
In 2002, the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) launched the Statewide Riverboat Voluntary Self-Exclusion Program for Problem Gamblers, known as SEP.
The program allows those who determine they are problem gamblers to self-exclude themselves from Illinois casinos. The new gambling expansion law extends SEP to sports wagering as well.
In 2018, the IGB additionally established the Problem Gambling Registry for Video Gaming.
Those who enroll receive regular emails providing information about problem gambling with links to problem gambling prevention and treatment resources in the state. The program is available both to Illinois and out-of-state residents.
The Illinois Department of Human Services has also developed a website to provide support and advice for problem gamblers — WeKnowTheFeeling.org — that also invites problem gamblers to contact them by phone at 1-800-GAMBLER.
The IGB site also provides additional information regarding these programs and other help for problem gamblers.
Historical overview of legal gambling in Illinois
Legal and regulated pari-mutuel horse race betting in Illinois dates back to 1927.
Illinois first introduced the lottery in 1974, joining the first big wave of states to do so. Later in 2012, Illinois became the first state to offer online lottery ticket sales and is still one of a limited number of states that do.
Riverboat gambling has been legal in Illinois since 1990 and, in fact, Illinois was the second state in the US to legalize riverboat gambling after Iowa. A year later, the first riverboat casino opened the Alton Belle (then to become the Argosy Casino Alton).
For the first several years, the boats were required to leave docks and set sail at regular intervals, but that is no longer the case. At present, 10 riverboat casinos are operating either on boats or docked barges or on what are essentially land-based properties resting in shallow water.
In 2009, the Video Gaming Act was enacted in Illinois, allowing the placement of VGTs in licensed retail locations, truck stops, and veteran and fraternal establishments.
More recently, in June 2019, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the Illinois Gambling Act, a law allowing for significant gambling expansion in the state. The new law permits six new casinos to be built, including one “mega-casino” near Chicago.
It also allows the existing casinos and racetracks to expand the number of “gaming positions” they can offer, including allowing the tracks to become “racinos” by adding slots and table games.
Licensing Information and Reports
The New Jersey Casino Control Commission is responsible for the licensing of Atlantic City casinos and all of their key employees.
People who work in casinos, Internet gaming or sports pools may require a license or registration depending on the kind of job they perform.
Non-management jobs that have nothing to do with gaming activity, even if the employee is required to go into the casino, typically do not require a license.
Choose from the topics below to access the information you are seeking:
Positions that require a Casino Key Employee LicenseEmployees must obtain a Casino Key Employee License from the Commission if they are involved in the operation of a casino in a supervisory capacity or empowered to make discretionary decisions on casino operations. This includes pit bosses, shift bosses, credit executives, casino cashier supervisors, casino or simulcasting facility managers, managers and supervisors of information technology employees, junket supervisors, marketing directors, and managers or supervisors of casino security employees. Other employees must obtain a Casino Key Employee License if they are empowered to make discretionary decisions on the management of an approved hotel, including hotel managers, entertainment directors, and food and beverage directors. A detailed list of casino positions that have been deemed to require a casino key employee license can be found in the Commission's regulations, N.J.A.C. 19:41A-5.1. Certain employees of an Internet gaming affiliate or intermediary company involved in Internet or mobile gaming, and certain employees of a sports pool, online sports pool or sports pool lounge, must file an application for a Casino Key Employee License. The Commission may designate other employees who must obtain a Casino Key Employee License for reasons consistent with the policies of the Casino Control Act. N.J.S.A. 5:12-9.
How To Get An Online Gambling License
Each applicant for a Casino Key Employee License must produce information, documentation and assurances concerning their qualification to hold the license. An applicant must establish their financial stability and responsibility as well as their good character, honesty and integrity. A general description of all requirements can be found in the Casino Control Act, N.J.S.A. 5:12-89a through d and a detailed description of all requirements can be found in the Commission's regulations, N.J.A.C. 19:41A-7.3. A casino employee who holds a Casino Key Employee License must be a resident of New Jersey, unless the casino receives a waiver from the Commission because the employee is required to be employed outside of New Jersey. An employee of a holding or intermediary company of a casino is not required to establish New Jersey residency. N.J.S.A. 5:12-89b(4).
A casino or a holding or intermediary company of a casino cannot employ a person in a position that requires a Casino Key Employee License unless the person holds a Casino Key Employee License or a Temporary Casino Key Employee License. To request a temporary license, a casino must file a petition with the Commission certifying that a vacancy exists or will exist within 60 days, the issuance of a temporary key employee license is necessary to fill the vacancy on an emergency basis to continue the efficient operation of the casino, and that the circumstances are extraordinary and not designed to circumvent normal licensing procedures. The Commission may issue a temporary license provided a complete application for a Casino Key Employee License is filed and the Division of Gaming Enforcement concurs. A temporary license is valid for nine (9) months unless otherwise terminated, and is valid only for the position requested in the petition and at the casino(s) specified on the license credential. N.J.S.A. 5:12-89e and N.J.A.C. 19:41A-5.3.
A casino key employee may perform compatible functions for two or more affiliated casinos provided the Division of Gaming Enforcement does not object and the Commission grants a multi-casino employee (MCE) endorsement. To request an MCE endorsement, the affiliated casinos must file a joint petition certifying that no incompatible functions will exist. If a temporary casino key employee license with an MCE endorsement is sought, the affiliated casinos may submit an electronic petition form. An MCE endorsement is valid only for the position requested in the petition and at the casinos specified on the license credential. N.J.S.A. 5:12-91.1 and N.J.A.C. 19:41A-5.4.
Five Year Review - Casino Key EmployeeNo later than five years after obtaining a Casino Key Employee License, and every five years thereafter, the licensee shall submit information and documentation to the Commission to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Commission that the licensee continues to meet the qualification requirements. N.J.S.A. 5:12-94h(1) and N.J.A.C. 19:41A-6. The informational filing due date appears on the license credential. At that time, the licensee must file a Casino Key Employee License Review Application and the required application fee if they are still working in a position that requires a casino key employee license or if they otherwise wish to maintain the license. The original form and one copy are required. You must also submit two copies of all Federal and New Jersey tax returns filed since your last application. The licensee will be re-photographed if the prior photograph is more than 10 years old.
A licensee who is no longer working in a position that requires a license may, instead of filing a resubmission, request to be placed on an inactive list of casino key employee licensees for up to five years or apply to the Division of Gaming Enforcement to downgrade the license. Persons on the inactive list must file a resubmission with the Commission before they can be employed in a position that requires a Casino Key Employee License. N.J.A.C. 19:41A-6.1(e). Persons inactive over one year should call the Licensing & Financial Evaluation Unit at (609) 441-3441 for guidance before filing any forms.
The fee for the issuance of a Casino Key Employee License includes an application fee of $750, plus payment for the efforts of the Commission and the Division on matters directly related to the applicant and expenses. The total issuance fee shall not exceed $4,000. A fee of $750 is also required for the five year resubmission of information and documentation. N.J.A.C. 19:41A-8.1.
Licensing forms are available on the Forms page of this website. If you wish to apply for a Casino Key Employee License (non-qualifier), you must complete and file either the Personal History Disclosure Form 1B, or the Multi-Jurisdictional Personal History Disclosure Form [PDF] AND the New Jersey Supplement [PDF]. Forms for Qualifiers/Key Qualifiers are available on the DGE website. The original form(s) and one copy are required. You must also submit two copies of the most recent five years of your Federal and New Jersey tax returns. You will be photographed when you file your application. All forms must be accompanied by the required application fee.
All applicants must be fingerprinted by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement unless digital fingerprints were previously taken by the Division. An appointment is required. To be fingerprinted, call the Division directly at 609-441-3050. The address for Fingerprinting appointments is:
Arcade Building - Entrance B
Tennessee Ave. and Boardwalk
Atlantic City, N.J. 08401
Your application can be filed at the above address from Monday to Friday during the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., except on State holidays. Other hours are available by appointment only. You may schedule an appointment if you wish by calling the Licensing & Financial Evaluation Unit at 609-441-3441 from Monday to Friday during the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
If you have any questions regarding the Casino Key Employee License forms or the licensing process, please email or call the Licensing & Financial Evaluation Unit at 609-441-3441 from Monday to Friday during the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
For information on employee registration requirements for positions other than those requiring a Casino Key Employee License, please go to the Division of Gaming Enforcement web site.
Casino Key Employee Licenses
The Key Employee Public Information List identifies all individuals with a status of Applicant, Inactive, Licensed, and Temporary. It is divided into three parts:
How To Get An Online Gambling License Requirements
The first part lists all current Casino Key Employee licensees, temporary licensees, and applicants. It includes the following fields: Name, First Name, Middle Name, License Number, Status, Issue Date, and Valid Through Date.
The second part lists all approved inactive Casino Key Employee licenses. It includes the following fields: Name, First Name, Middle Name, License Number, Status, Approval Code, and Approval Date. Persons on the Approved Inactive List may reactivate their licenses by filing a resubmission with the Commission prior to employment in a position that requires a Casino Key Employee license. N.J.A.C. 19:41A-6.1(e). Persons inactive over one year should call the Licensing & Financial Evaluation Unit at (609) 441-3441 for guidance before filing any forms.
The third part lists all inactive Casino Key Employee licenses. It includes the following fields: Name, First Name, Middle Name, License Number, Status, Issue Date, and Valid Through Date. Persons who held a Casino Key Employee license but did not seek placement on the Approved Inactive List, or persons who were on the inactive list for more than five years, need to complete a new license application before they can be employed in a position that requires a Casino Key Employee license.
The following key employee lists are accurate as of January 2021:
- Key Employee Public Information List [pdf]
- Key Employee Public Information List [xls]
This information is updated Quarterly in January, April, July and October. If the information you are seeking is not posted, please call the Licensing & Financial Evaluation Unit at (609) 441-3441.
Other Reports
The following reports pertaining to licenses and registrations are available on the Division of Gaming Enforcement's website:
How To Get An Online Gambling License Online
- Active Vendors Report
How To Get An Online Gambling License For Real
Casino Employee Registration / Vendor RegistrationGaming-related employees, including dealers, security guards, cage cashiers and others, must register with the Division of Gaming Enforcement. For more information and an application form, go to the Division of Gaming Enforcement website or call 609-441-3011 with any questions.
For Vendor Regisitration and Enterprise Licensing Information, visit the Division of Gaming Enforcement website.
If your company wants to apply for a license to own or operate a casino, the company must file a Business Entity Disclosure Form.
In addition, officers and directors - and anyone else that the Division of Gaming Enforcement deems appropriate - must file a Multi-Jurisdictional Personal History Disclosure Form [PDF will open on the DGE website], which will also satisfy the requirement for a casino key employee license. (This form can also be obtained from the web site of the International Association of Gaming Regulators.) In addition, they must also file the New Jersey Supplement [PDF will open on the DGE website] to that form.
Before you start to complete any forms, it is strongly recommended that you review the licensing requirements and the application process detailed in The Act and Regulations on the Commission's website.
If you have any questions, please contact the Licensing & Financial Evaluation Unit by email or call 609-441-3441.