Illinois fired the biggest shot the sweepstakes casino world has ever seen, but no one seemed to care. In February 2026, the Gaming Board and Attorney General served 65 operators with cease-and-desist orders; only five obeyed. The standoff isn’t over, and your account works today, but it could change the second the IGB decides it’s done writing letters.
Our page walks you through the sites we back, what the law says, what you risk, and which operators already left.
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Every site on this list passed our cashout, free entry, and deposit-pressure checks. The rest didn’t make it.
How We Rate
Picture the biggest eviction notice in U.S. sweepstakes history, then picture most of the room refusing to leave. In February 2026, the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) and state Attorney General (AG) hit 65 sweepstakes sites with cease and desist letters, the largest wave the country has seen, and around 60 of them shrugged and kept the doors open.
Major sites like Chumba Casino, LuckyLand Slots, or Pulsz, are all still serving Illinois players, seemingly betting the IGB won’t take it to civil or criminal court. Only a handful folded, among them Jumbo88.
So, almost everything is still open to you, but you are playing inside a standoff nobody has won yet. Our “Legal Overview” table breaks down where the law sits, and the Your Situation as a Player table covers what it means for your account right now.
| Are sweepstakes casinos legal in Illinois? | No. The state treats them as illegal under existing gambling law and has formally ordered 65 operators to stop serving Illinois players. |
| What makes them illegal? | The Illinois Criminal Code. 720 ILCS 5/28-1(a)(12) makes operating internet gambling without a state license a crime. |
| What action has the state taken? | 65 cease-and-desist letters in February 2026. The IGB and Attorney General’s Office issued them jointly. |
| Did the operators comply? | Mostly no. Roughly 60 of 65 ignored the letters. Only a handful of smaller brands pulled out. |
| What can the IGB do next? | Civil or criminal penalties, through the courts. So far, it hasn’t escalated past the cease-and-desist stage. |
| Is there a sweepstakes ban bill in the works? | Yes, but stalled. Senator Bill Cunningham’s SB 1705 would explicitly ban sweepstakes. It’s been sitting in the Senate Assignments Committee since April 2025. |
| What can I legally play in Illinois? | Riverboat casinos, racetrack casinos, video gaming terminals, sports betting, the state lottery, and licensed charitable gaming. |
| Can I sign up to a sweepstakes site in Illinois? | Yes, at most major brands. |
| Could more sites leave Illinois suddenly? | Yes. If the IGB escalates to civil or criminal action, or if SB 1705 passes, operators could exit Illinois within weeks. Your account and any unredeemed balance would go with them. |
| Will I get in trouble as a player? | No. Illinois has never charged a player for sweepstakes participation. The IGB’s enforcement is focused on operators. |
| Can I redeem prizes in Illinois? | Yes, at the brands still operating. |
| What if something goes wrong with the site? | Limited recourse. Operators ignoring Illinois letters are unlikely to cooperate with Illinois regulators if your account is locked or a prize is denied. |
| Do I owe taxes on winnings? | Yes, federal and state. Tax law treats sweepstakes winnings as taxable income regardless of legality. Report federal on Schedule 1; Illinois taxes them at the state’s 4.95% flat rate. |
Casinos that explicitly ban players from Illinois
Compare Illinois’s situation regarding sweepstakes with those of its neighboring states.
