Illinois Gaming Board Plans Credit Card Ban for Sports Betting

The Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) has initiated steps to ban the use of credit cards for funding sports wagering s across the state, aiming to further promote responsible gambling practices.

Proposed Ban to Strengthen Responsible Gambling Measures

At its April 24, 2025 meeting, the IGB unanimously voted to advance new regulations that would prevent both retail and online sportsbooks from accepting credit cards for betting transactions. Marcus D. Fruchter explained that this move reflects a broader review of Illinois’ gaming rules on the five-year anniversary of legalized sports wagering in the state. “We view that limiting credit card funding for wagering s is a sensible and worthwhile policy to encourage responsible gambling and mitigate the potential harms of compulsive gambling,” Fruchter stated.

Fruchter emphasized that allowing credit cards was standard practice when Illinois first approved sports betting in 2020, as none of the 13 states then permitting sports wagering had prohibited their use. However, the landscape has since shifted, with at least six states, including Massachusetts, Iowa, and Tennessee, moving to restrict or ban credit card use for sports betting purposes.

The IGB’s proposed changes now move forward to the t Committee on istrative Rules (JCAR), where a public comment period lasting at least 45 days will take place before final approval. If adopted, the ban would bring consistency across gaming sectors in Illinois, where credit card use is already banned for casino and video gaming machine wagers.

Additional Measures Introduced at April Meeting

Alongside the credit card prohibition, the IGB adopted two other notable rules. One rule amendment would permit cashless wagering at all 17 casinos across Illinois. This change would officially allow casino patrons to utilize digital wallets to place wagers, withdraw electronic credits, fund gaming s, and cash out winnings — all subject to the credit card prohibition and enhanced safeguards like self-exclusion programs, age verification, and anti-money laundering controls.

Another amendment targets record-keeping requirements for video gaming sales agents and brokers. This measure is designed to bring these entities in line with the existing standards imposed on other licensees, aiming to increase transparency and bolster regulatory compliance across the industry.

Fruchter noted, “These new rules are the product of the IGB’s ongoing work to identify and evaluate potential rules, procedures and practices for either modification or adoption to best accommodate changes in gaming and ensure that Illinois maintains high levels of ethics, innovation, competition, integrity, compliance, safety, and success.”

Significant Developments in Illinois Gaming Landscape

The April meeting also marked another milestone for Illinois’ gaming expansion. On April 18, 2025, the state’s 17th casino — and its first racetrack casino (racino) — opened at Fairmount Park in Collinsville. The facility’s licensing and gaming fees amounted to $9.7 million, contributing to the nearly $400 million collected in upfront casino fees since November 2021 under the 2019 gaming expansion law. These revenues are allocated to the Rebuild Illinois initiative, which funds critical infrastructure projects statewide.

During the same meeting, the IGB also processed several licensing actions:

• Approved one key person and four Level 1 occupational licenses.
• Approved 339 Level 2 and Level 3 occupational licenses.
• Approved 91 video gaming location applicants and licensed 40 terminal handlers and four technicians.
• Issued 177 sports wagering occupational licenses across various levels.

Some applicants for gaming and terminal operator licenses were denied, reinforcing the IGB’s emphasis on strict compliance standards.

Source:

Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) Adopts Proposed New Rules including a Prohibition on Using Credit Cards for Sports Wagering among Other Regulatory Measures at April Meeting, illinois.gov, April 25, 2025