Poker Tournaments in Illinois in 2023 – IL Poker Tournaments Schedule & Results

by Adrian Sterne Updated: November 1, 2022

Illinois has recently passed a gambling act and made its already solid poker scene flourish. The state has added six new gambling venues to its land-based casino selection and authorized its racetracks to carry table games like poker.

However, the Prairie State still has no online poker-related regulations and boasts no state-licensed online poker rooms that host real money poker games.

Online Poker Rooms with Regular Tournaments
Types Of Poker Tournaments
Online Poker Tournament Registration
Land Casinos With Tournaments
Poker Tournaments
Resources
FAQ

Let’s see how the mentioned laws (or lack thereof) affect the poker tournaments Illinois offers online and offline. Stay tuned!

Poker Tournaments in Illinois

The Illinois Gambling Act of 2019 allowed all real money casino games (including poker) to be played in a state-regulated environment. As a result, poker fans from this state now have a wide range of options when looking for a place to sharpen their poker skills.

The following sections will explore the online and land-based poker tournament scene in Illinois.

Online Poker Tournaments in Illinois

As mentioned earlier, Illinois is one of the many US states that have yet to regulate their online gambling scene. There are no state-licensed real money online poker sites or gambling platforms where IL residents or visitors can enjoy playing this popular game.

The only gambling sites that Illinois currently regulates are sweepstakes and social casinos. These platforms offer numerous casino poker games, and organize regular poker tournaments. Nevertheless, they don’t take the rake. As a result, they don’t host any games where you can bet and win real money.

Thankfully, IL’s lack of online poker-related regulations leaves its poker aficionados with enough leeway to pursue their hobby elsewhere. Namely, there are tons of great offshore online poker rooms that cater to US gamblers and host poker tournaments on a regular basis. IL players can join any of them since none of the state’s laws explicitly prohibit these gambling platforms.

If you’re interested in checking them out, give the table at the top of this page a glance. We’ve scoured the web, found the offshore online poker rooms with the best poker tournament offer, and put them on full display.

Land-Based Poker Tournaments in Illinois

Illinois has numerous land-based gambling establishments that carry virtual and live poker games. A few of them also host poker tournaments.

In this state, players can participate in poker tournaments in riverboat casinos. Illinois passed its Riverboat Gambling Act in 1990, giving these kinds of casinos a permit to operate games like poker on their premises. There are now ten state-licensed riverboat casinos, and the law classifies them as land-based gambling establishments.

The 2019 Illinois Gambling Act mentioned above authorized the construction of six new land-based casinos in the state. These casinos should give IL players more options and expand the Prairie State’s poker tournament offer. They will be located in Chicago, Danville, Rockford, Walker’s Bluff, and Waukegan.

Illinois currently has no tribal casinos within its border because there are no federally recognized tribes in this state. Nevertheless, two of the six newly-authorized casinos will be owned by Indian tribes — the Poarch Band of Creek Indians in Alabama and the Seminole Indian Tribe of Florida.

How to Register for an Online Poker Tournament

If you’d like to participate in one of the offshore online poker sites poker tournaments, you’ll have to join the casino first. The registration process is pretty straightforward, but you can refer to the guide below for assistance.

Choose A Poker Site

Scan our best offshore online poker rooms list and pick the site that appeals to you.

Signup

Go to the casino’s official website and open the registration form.

Fill in the necessary personal information and submit your request.

Verify your email address and log in to your account.

Deposit & Play

Deposit some money and claim the available welcome bonuses.

Check the casino’s current poker tournaments offer and follow the rules to enter the one you like.

Good luck!

IL Land-Based Casinos With Poker Tournaments

We’ve already covered the land-based casino scene in Illinois in one of the previous sections. There are a lot of reputable casinos with amicable staff, a great selection of poker variants, and an excellent offer of poker tournaments. However, there are some gambling venues that stand out from the crowd.

We’ve created the ultimate IL land-based casinos with poker tournaments list below. Have a look:

IL Poker Tournament Schedule

The state hosts WSOP and WPT poker events from time to time. You can stay updated on all poker events in this state in 2022 by checking the table below. We keep the schedule up to date, so you can refer to it any time.

No Events Currently

Check back again, An event maybe on its way soon

Best Poker Rooms To Play Online Tournaments In Illinois

Illinois has a solid offer of daily and weekly poker tournaments.

My list of the best US poker sites which I consider to be the best rooms to play in 2023:

BetOnline Poker
Ignition Poker
Everygame Poker
Juicy Stakes Poker
ACR Poker
Bovada Poker
BlackChip Poker
SportsBetting Poker

100% Legal & Licensed Verified Bonus Mobile Friendly Advertiser Disclosure. Must be +18 to participate.

Rank	Poker Rooms	Bonus	Review...
1.	5 5.0/5	Bonus 100% up to $1000 (T&C apply. 18+) Read Review Visit SiteDeposit Options	Features 100% First deposit bonus Promo Code: NEWBOL Banking through cryptocurrencies Top 3 in US player traffic Payout Speed 1-3 days Licensed by
2.	5 5.0/5	Bonus 100% upto $3000 (T&C apply. 18+) Read Review Visit SiteDeposit Options	Features Increased Poker Crypto Bonus $1500 Exclusively for US players Many Payment Options Rich Player Traffic Payout Speed 1-3 days Licensed by
3.	4 4.0/5	Bonus 200% upto $1000 Welcome Bonus (T&C apply. 18+) Read Review Visit SiteDeposit Options	Features Recreational Player Traffic Get a 200% Match on Your Initial Deposit Wide Tournament Selection High-Quality Games Payout Speed 1 - 5 days Licensed by
4.	4.3 4.3/5	Bonus 200% upto $1000 Welcome Bonus (T&C apply. 18+) Read Review Visit SiteDeposit Options	Features 200% up to $1000 poker bonus Bonus code: 1000JUICY High-quality software Competitive poker tournaments Payout Speed 1 - 6 days Licensed by
5.	4.5 4.5/5	Bonus 100% upto $1000 (T&C apply. 18+) Read Review Visit SiteDeposit Options	Features VIP Loyalty Program Weekly Progressive Jackpot Reliable Customer Support US-Friendly Payout Speed 1-3 days Licensed by
6.	4.5 4.5/5	Bonus 100% up to $500 (T&C apply. 18+) Read Review Visit SiteDeposit Options	Features Guaranteed Tournaments Quick, secure payouts Payout Speed 1-3 days Licensed by
7.	4 4.0/5	Bonus 100% upto $1000 Welcome Bonus (T&C apply. 18+) Read Review Visit SiteDeposit Options	Features Rich Player Traffic Special Promotions Get Free $1,000 US-Friendly Payout Speed 2 - 5 days Licensed by
8.	4.5 4.5/5	Bonus 100% upto $1000 (T&C apply. 18+) Read Review Visit SiteDeposit Options	Features Up to $1000 Sign Up Bonus Promo Code: NEWSB Highly Responsive Customer Support Easy-To-Orient Soft Competition Payout Speed 1-3 days Licensed by

Other Resources

Final Thoughts

The Prairie State has had a decent poker scene since the 1990s, but the Illinois Gambling Act allowed IL poker rooms to step up their game recently. Thanks to this act, IL residents are getting six new commercial casinos with real money poker tournaments soon.

Until then, they can practice their poker skills in riverboat casinos, racinos, sweepstakes, online social platforms, and US-friendly offshore online poker rooms.

FAQs

Are poker tournaments legal in Illinois?

Yes. Illinois law has no stipulations that prohibit poker tournaments — as long as they’re organized according to the state’s gambling regulations.

What is the legal age for playing poker in Illinois?

You have to be at least 21 years old to play poker in Illinois.

Which online poker tournaments are available in Illinois?

Illinois doesn’t regulate online poker, so you’ll find no IL-licensed real money online poker sites in this state. Nevertheless, you can still take part in poker tournaments hosted by various US-friendly offshore online casinos. We’ve featured some of the best ones in the table at the top of this page.

Can I participate in live poker tournaments in Illinois?

You can. Many IL gambling venues organize daily and weekly live poker tournaments. You can find more information about them in the table featured above.