Live and Online Slot Games in Illinois

There are 13 casinos in Illinois, plus the new Bally’s mega-casino complex under construction and set to open in Chicago in 2026. In the meantime, a temporary Bally’s casino will launch in Chicago’s Medinah Temple in the summer of 2023. Additionally, some 8,000 licensed video gaming locations in the state operate nearly 43,000 Video Gaming Terminals (VGTs). VGTs closely resemble slots in appearance and function.

State-licensed online gambling is limited to sports betting. That means there are no real money online casinos in Illinois right now. However, sweepstakes and social casinos allow you to play online slots in the state.

Slots are by far the most popular games in the state—both at online sweepstakes and social casinos and at Illinois retail casinos. Here’s a look at all the slots and online slots available in Illinois, with more on the sweepstakes, social, and retail casinos where you can play them.

Best social casinos with slots in Illinois

While online gambling in Illinois appears limited to sports betting, you can still play online slots and casino games at sweepstakes and social casinos that comply with federal sweepstakes laws. Each Illinois social casino hosts hundreds, if not thousands, of online slot machines. Here’s a look at the sweepstakes and social casinos and how many online slots you’ll find at each one.

Are slots legal in Illinois?

There have been slots at legal Illinois riverboat casinos since 1991. As of 2023, 13 casinos operate in the state, each with hundreds of slots. In 2009, Illinois passed the Video Gaming Act, allowing Video Gaming Terminals (VGTs) in licensed retail establishments, truck stops, and veteran and fraternal establishments. These slot-like games are all connected to and monitored by a central communications system. These days, there are more than 8,000 video gaming locations with close to 43,000 VGTs across Illinois. There are no licensed Illinois online casinos, but sweepstakes and social casinos allow you to legally play hundreds of online slots.

Free online slots in Illinois

If you play online slots at sweepstakes casinos and social casinos in Illinois, you can play for free or for a sweepstakes currency redeemable for cash prizes. Playing for free lets you see if you like a game, how it pays out, and how often you can reach the bonus game and features. If you like the slot, you can move on to play the same game for the sweepstakes currency.

You can still play slot games for free even if you’re playing for the equivalent of real money. Complying with federal sweepstakes laws means sweepstakes and social casinos online must not require any purchase. They do this by giving away the cash-equivalent sweepstakes currency in a variety of ways, including bonuses via play currency purchases, social media contests, and requests through the mail.

Real money slots in Illinois

Playing online slots at social casinos with play currency won’t cost you anything, but you won’t win anything either.

The good news is that most social casinos allow you to play with a free sweepstakes currency that can be redeemed for cash prizes once it’s played through. Typically, this currency type is earned through giveaways, social media contests, and requests via mail.

Legal online slots in Illinois

Here’s a look at the best online slots you’ll find at Illinois’ top five social casinos.

How to play Illinois online slots on your smartphone

These days, you can play every online slot available at social casinos on a mobile phone or tablet. That’s because sweepstakes and social casinos are accessible via mobile web browsers. There’s even a Luckyland Slots mobile app for iOS and Android devices you can download and install on your phone or tablet.

Progressive slots online in Illinois

Progressive jackpot slots attract a vast number of players when the jackpots grow big enough. It happens more often than you might think since these jackpots are growing with every spin. That’s why even sweepstakes and social casinos host several progressive jackpot casino slots. They keep a piece of every penny played to build up the jackpot and keep going until someone hits it. Then, they start again, waiting for interest to build up alongside each progressive jackpot.

Types of slots in Illinois

These days, computer graphics have replaced the mechanical reels in most slots. Plus, since they’re all run by computers, the same slots you find at retail casinos are also online. Most social casinos host slots that look and feel the same as the ones you play at the casino. Some, like WOW Vegas, even host the exact same games.

Sweepstakes and social casinos literally host hundreds of online video slots with different reel grids, features, themes, and bonus games, but they all fall under these four basic slot categories.

• Classic Video Slots: Traditional three-reel and five-reel video slots where computer graphics have replaced the mechanical reels.
• Classic Video Slots With Bonus Games and Features: Traditional three-reel and five-reel video slots where computer graphics have replaced the mechanical reels with triggerable bonus games and features like free spins.
• Classic Multi-Line Video Slots: Traditional three-reel and five-reel video slots with additional paylines and multiple ways to win.
• Multi-Reel Video Slots: Classic-style reel video slots with more than the traditional number of reels and rows.

Rewards and bonuses at IL online slots casinos

The top five social casinos in Illinois offer bonuses and rewards just for signing up. You can use these bonuses to play slots there. Here’s a look:

Retail Illinois casinos with slots