Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul believes his state will legalize online casino gaming. It's just a question of when.
Raoul, who was elected in 2018 after 15 years in the state Senate, made the remarks during an appearance last week at the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States.
Raoul cannot vote on legislation from his current position, but he can help push any potential efforts.
Illinois has a pair of bills, Senate Bill 1963 and House Bill 3080, that were introduced earlier this year and would legalize online casinos.
Neither has made substantial progress.
Will legalization happen?
Illinois is one of the country’s top gaming jurisdictions alongside powerhouses such as Nevada and New Jersey. It consistently ranks in the top three for sports betting handle and in the top 10 for casino revenue. So far, Illinois has not joined the short list of states with an online casino market.
That would change if Raoul’s prediction comes to fruition. Notably, he did not provide a timeline on when he thinks legalization would occur.
SB 1963 has not progressed after it was referred to assignments following its first reading, and HB 3080, after being referred to the Rules Committee and then assigned to the Gaming Committee, was re-referred to the Rules Committee in March.
The earliest possibility of legalizing Illinois online casinos would likely be when the Illinois General Assembly reconvenes in 2026.
Although progress has been slow, there’s been an obvious attempt by the Illinois government to raise more revenue from gaming.
The state last year replaced its flat rate of 15% on sports betting with a sliding scale ranging from 20% to 40%. Then, in June, it added a $.25-.50 tax for every wager, which prompted FanDuel, Fanatics, and DraftKings to institute betting surcharges.
Focused on taxes
Casino gambling was legalized in Illinois in 1990. The state currently licenses 17 retail casinos and will soon open Bally’s Chicago, a $1.7 billion project that will be the first gambling facility in the heart of Chicago.
There are also 10 operational and licensed online sportsbooks, though the state allows for a maximum of 26.
Adding online casinos into the mix would give Illinois one of the most complete gambling industries in the country. However, there are concerns that what may appear to be a step forward would actually result in the opposite.
Retail casinos in numerous states that have discussed adding iGaming argued that expansion would cannibalize their profits. Anti-gambling officials have also warned that online casinos would increase cases of problem gambling.
Even with those risks, Illinois’ commitment to raising more gaming taxes makes online casinos the natural next topic of discussion.
The state taxes its retail facilities anywhere from 15% to 50% depending on their revenue total.