Illinois Self-Exclusion Doesn’t Cover Every Form of Gambling

Illinois Gambling Protection Gap Index — 2026

Illinois residents trying to stop gambling can enroll in self-exclusion programs that block access to some regulated gambling products. But gambling no longer sits inside a single regulatory system. Sportsbooks, casinos, video gaming terminals, prediction markets, daily fantasy sports, sweepstakes casinos and other products operate under different rules. Chicago Addiction Therapy reviewed those systems to answer one question: when someone in Illinois decides they no longer want access to gambling, how far does self-exclusion actually reach?

By Chris Beerman, MSW, LCSW, CADC · Published October 2026 · Policies last verified October 7, 2026 · Download the data (CSV) · Methodology

Cite this researchBeerman, C. (2026). Illinois Gambling Protection Gap Index: Self-exclusion and consumer protections across gambling products. Chicago Addiction Therapy. https://www.chicagoaddictiontherapy.com/illinois-gambling-protection-gap. Published October 2026; last verified October 7, 2026.

The short answer

Of the 8 kinds of gambling that operate openly in Illinois, 2 are covered by the state’s self-exclusion program today: casinos and Illinois-licensed sportsbooks. Daily fantasy and pick’em is required by law to join the program but is not covered yet, and the Illinois Lottery runs its own separate program. Video gaming terminals, prediction markets, brokerage event contracts and sweepstakes casinos have no statewide exclusion at all. Offshore and crypto gambling sites are also beyond the program’s reach; because they are illegal in Illinois, they are scored in the audit below but left out of this count.

2 of 8

kinds of gambling operating openly in Illinois that the state’s self-exclusion program covers

58 / 100

Protection Gap Index. Higher means larger gaps; scored against a published rubric

~49,000

video gaming terminals with no binding self-exclusion

minimum age for prediction markets and brokerage event contracts, against 21 for licensed sportsbooks

What does Illinois self-exclusion actually block?

Coverage by the Illinois Gaming Board Self-Exclusion ProgramAs of October 7, 2026. “Own state program” means the Illinois Lottery’s separate Voluntary Self-Exclusion Program.

Gambling product	Illinois Gaming Board self-exclusion
Casinos	Covered
Sportsbooks	Covered
Video gaming terminals	Not covered
Prediction markets	Not covered
Brokerage event contracts	Not covered
Daily fantasy and pick'em	Required by law, not yet in effect
Illinois Lottery	Own state program
Sweepstakes casinos	Not covered
Offshore sportsbooks and casinos	Not covered
Crypto casinos	Not covered

Free to reuse with credit: download this chart as an image (PNG).

One person, many doors

Follow one hypothetical Illinois resident who decides to stop and enrolls in the state program. The exclusion follows them to some doors and stops at others.

Where a state self-exclusion follows the person, and where it stops

1
Enrolls in the Illinois Gaming Board's Self-Exclusion ProgramIn person, at one of about 41 sites.
2
Sportsbook appsAccounts at every Illinois-licensed sportsbook are suspended.
Blocked
3
Illinois casinosBarred from all 17, and from casinos owned by four major chains elsewhere.
Blocked
4
Video gaming terminal at the corner barNo binding exclusion. About 49,000 machines.
Still open
5
Prediction market appNot covered. A separate exclusion is needed on each platform.
Still open
6
Brokerage app with event contractsNot covered. Exclusion is by request to the broker, where offered.
Still open
7
Sweepstakes casinoNot licensed in Illinois. Exclusion depends on the operator.
Still open
8
Daily fantasy or pick'emRequired by law to join the program; not yet in effect.
Not yet
9
Illinois LotteryNot covered by this enrollment. The Lottery runs its own program.
Separate program

How old do you have to be?

Every gambling product the Illinois Gaming Board licenses requires players to be 21. The state Lottery and the federally regulated prediction-market and brokerage products are open at 18.

Minimum age to gamble, by productStatutes for Illinois-licensed products; operator terms for the rest. Offshore and crypto sites are not legal in Illinois and are left out.

The full audit

Each row reflects the published rules of the state program or, where none applies, the major operators reviewed. Scroll sideways on a phone. The same data is in the CSV download.

Product	Examples	Minimum age	Regulator	Illinois self-exclusion applies?	Separate exclusion available?	Follows the person across operators?	Length	Can it be reversed?	Marketing stops?	Key gap	Gap score
Casinos	The 17 Illinois casinos	21	Illinois Gaming Board	Yes	Not needed; the statewide program applies	Yes: all Illinois casinos and licensed sportsbooks, plus casinos owned by Caesars, Boyd, Penn and MGM elsewhere	Five-year minimum; continues until removal is granted	Only after five years, with a letter from a licensed mental-health professional who is a certified gambling counselor (or a psychiatrist), treatment records, a records release and a liability waiver; the Gaming Board decides	Yes: targeted marketing to enrollees is prohibited	Enrollment is in person only, at about 41 sanctioned sites	0 / 5
Sportsbooks	DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Caesars and other Illinois-licensed books	21	Illinois Gaming Board	Yes	Yes, in-app limits and closures for one operator	Yes: every Illinois-licensed sportsbook. Out-of-state accounts only at the operator's discretion	Five-year minimum; continues until removal is granted	Same as casinos	Yes: targeted marketing to enrollees is prohibited	The program covers Illinois-licensed sportsbooks only; the same brands' separate prediction-market apps need their own exclusions	0 / 5
Video gaming terminals	Slot-style machines in bars, restaurants, gas stations and truck stops	21	Illinois Gaming Board	No	No. The Video Gaming Problem Gambling Registry sends resources but blocks nothing	No	Not applicable; the registry can be cancelled at any time	Not applicable	No rule identified	About 49,000 machines at about 9,000 locations with no binding exclusion. The Gaming Board adopted a resolution in September 2026 to add them, with no date set	5 / 5
Prediction markets	Kalshi, Polymarket US	18	CFTC (federal); Illinois' authority contested in federal court	No	Yes, on each platform	Partly: SelfExclude.io covers Kalshi and Novig only; a Kalshi exclusion does not block access through brokers	Kalshi: not published. Polymarket US: 30 days, 1 year or permanent (announced October 2026). SelfExclude.io: 1 to 12 months, then ends automatically	Kalshi: cannot be lifted early, but ends automatically. Polymarket US: not stated	Not documented	Open at 18. The state list does not reach these platforms, and each must be excluded separately	4 / 5
Brokerage event contracts	Robinhood, Webull, Interactive Brokers, Coinbase	18	CFTC (federal), offered through brokerages	No	Robinhood: by request to support. Others: no documented tool	No	Robinhood calls it a more permanent restriction; no term published	Robinhood: can be re-enabled after a support review	Not documented	Sits inside an ordinary investing app; hiding sports content is not a block	4.5 / 5
Daily fantasy and pick'em	PrizePicks, Underdog, DraftKings, FanDuel	21 by statute; operator terms not yet consistent	Illinois Gaming Board (P.A. 104-0468, in force June 16, 2026)	Required by law, not yet implemented	Yes, on each platform	Partly: PrizePicks, Underdog, Dabble and Splash share an exclusion through idPair; FanDuel's state-wide option depends on a state program that does not yet cover Illinois fantasy	PrizePicks: 30 days or more, or lifetime. Underdog: 1, 3, 5 or 10 years, or lifetime. FanDuel: from 1 year	PrizePicks and Underdog: cannot be undone. DraftKings and FanDuel: not published	PrizePicks: marketing notifications stop. Others: not documented	The law is in force but the Gaming Board's implementing rules are not; existing operators may continue until 90 days after rules take effect	3 / 5
Illinois Lottery	Draw games, instant tickets, iLottery	18	Illinois Department of the Lottery	No (separate Lottery program)	Yes: Voluntary Self-Exclusion (online and retail prize claims) and online-only exclusion	Yes, across all Lottery channels; nothing outside the Lottery	Voluntary Self-Exclusion: 1 year, 5 years or lifetime. Online-only: at least 5 years	Enrollees stay listed until a removal request is approved; early requests are denied; removal requires treatment documentation	Yes: the Lottery removes enrollees from promotional lists and retailers must not market to them	Retailers must refuse sales, but cash purchases cannot practically be checked; enforcement works mainly by withholding prizes	0 / 5
Sweepstakes casinos	Chumba, LuckyLand, Pulsz, McLuck	Varies, 18 or 21 by operator	None; not licensed in Illinois. The Gaming Board, with the Attorney General, sent more than 60 cease-and-desist letters in February 2026	No	Yes, on some platforms	Partly: Chumba's exclusion covers one site; exclusion across its sister sites requires contacting support	Chumba: 6 months to 5 years, or indefinite	Chumba: timed exclusions reactivate automatically; indefinite can be lifted after 6 months	Chumba: excluded players are unsubscribed from all marketing. Others: not documented	Operating without an Illinois license; exclusion depends entirely on each operator	3.5 / 5
Offshore sportsbooks and casinos	Major offshore sites	Uncertain	None; not legal in Illinois. The Gaming Board has sent cease-and-desist letters to offshore sportsbooks	No	Uncertain	No	Uncertain	Uncertain	Uncertain	No Illinois or U.S. regulator oversees them; any exclusion depends on the operator	5 / 5
Crypto casinos	Major crypto casino sites	18 or local age of majority (stated where retrievable)	None; not legal in Illinois, and the largest sites bar U.S. players in their terms	No	Yes, on some platforms	No	Stake: indefinite exclusion lasts at least 6 months	Stake: does not reactivate automatically; reopening is subject to internal review	Not documented	Terms bar U.S. players but can be reached with a VPN; no regulator can enforce an exclusion	4 / 5

Protection Gap Score

Each category is scored on five criteria. A criterion scores 0 when it is met program-wide or by every major operator reviewed, 0.5 when only some operators meet it or it is met with a documented limitation, and 1 when it is not met. A protection we could not document scores 1 and is marked (u) for uncertain; we did not infer coverage. A category’s gap score is the sum, from 0 (strong protection) to 5 (no meaningful mechanism identified). The index is the total across all ten categories, doubled to give a score out of 100.

Criterion	Met when
A · Statewide coverage	Covered today by a binding Illinois state exclusion program (IGB Self-Exclusion Program or Illinois Lottery Voluntary Self-Exclusion).
B · Binding exclusion with published terms	A binding exclusion (not just account closure) is available, with its length published.
C · Follows the person	The exclusion follows the individual across operators or brands in the category, not only the one account closed.
D · Hard to reverse	Cannot be lifted early, and getting back in requires a review step rather than automatic reinstatement or a support request.
E · Marketing stops	A rule or published policy stops marketing to the excluded person.

Product	A	B	C	D	E	Gap score
Casinos	0	0	0	0	0	0
Sportsbooks	0	0	0	0	0	0
Illinois Lottery	0	0	0	0	0	0
Daily fantasy and pick'em	1	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5	3
Sweepstakes casinos	1	0.5	0.5	1	0.5	3.5
Prediction markets	1	0.5	0.5	1 (u)	1 (u)	4
Crypto casinos	1	0.5	1	0.5	1 (u)	4
Brokerage event contracts	1	1	1	0.5	1 (u)	4.5
Video gaming terminals	1	1	1	1	1 (u)	5
Offshore sportsbooks and casinos	1	1 (u)	1	1 (u)	1 (u)	5
Total						29 / 50

Illinois Gambling Protection Gap Index, 2026: 58 / 100. The score is meant to be repeated each year with the same rubric, so change can be measured.

Each product, with its sources

Open any product for the finding, the details behind its score and the primary sources we used.

CasinosGap score 0 / 5

Finding: Covered. The statewide program bars enrollees from every Illinois casino and stops targeted marketing; it is the strongest protection in the audit.

Illinois statewide self-exclusion: Yes
Platform or program exclusion: Not needed; the statewide program applies
Minimum age: 21 (230 ILCS 10/11)
Regulator: Illinois Gaming Board
Follows the person: Yes: all Illinois casinos and licensed sportsbooks, plus casinos owned by Caesars, Boyd, Penn and MGM elsewhere
Length: Five-year minimum; continues until removal is granted
Reversal: Only after five years, with a letter from a licensed mental-health professional who is a certified gambling counselor (or a psychiatrist), treatment records, a records release and a liability waiver; the Gaming Board decides
Marketing: Yes: targeted marketing to enrollees is prohibited

Primary sources

Last verified: October 7, 2026.

SportsbooksGap score 0 / 5

Finding: Covered. Enrollment suspends accounts at every Illinois-licensed sportsbook, though not at the same brands' separate prediction-market apps.

Illinois statewide self-exclusion: Yes
Platform or program exclusion: Yes, in-app limits and closures for one operator
Minimum age: 21 (230 ILCS 45/25-25(b))
Regulator: Illinois Gaming Board
Follows the person: Yes: every Illinois-licensed sportsbook. Out-of-state accounts only at the operator's discretion
Length: Five-year minimum; continues until removal is granted
Reversal: Same as casinos
Marketing: Yes: targeted marketing to enrollees is prohibited

Primary sources

Last verified: October 7, 2026.

Video gaming terminalsGap score 5 / 5

Finding: Not covered. The largest gambling product in Illinois by losses has no binding self-exclusion; the Gaming Board has said it intends to add one, with no date.

Illinois statewide self-exclusion: No
Platform or program exclusion: No. The Video Gaming Problem Gambling Registry sends resources but blocks nothing
Minimum age: 21 (230 ILCS 40/40)
Regulator: Illinois Gaming Board
Follows the person: No
Length: Not applicable; the registry can be cancelled at any time
Reversal: Not applicable
Marketing: No rule identified

Criteria scored as gaps because we could not document them: E.

Primary sources

Last verified: October 7, 2026.

Prediction marketsGap score 4 / 5

Finding: Not covered. Each platform must be excluded separately, terms are often unpublished, and the products are open at 18.

Illinois statewide self-exclusion: No
Platform or program exclusion: Yes, on each platform
Minimum age: 18 (Operator terms (Kalshi help center; Polymarket US rulebook 3.1(c)))
Regulator: CFTC (federal); Illinois' authority contested in federal court
Follows the person: Partly: SelfExclude.io covers Kalshi and Novig only; a Kalshi exclusion does not block access through brokers
Length: Kalshi: not published. Polymarket US: 30 days, 1 year or permanent (announced October 2026). SelfExclude.io: 1 to 12 months, then ends automatically
Reversal: Kalshi: cannot be lifted early, but ends automatically. Polymarket US: not stated
Marketing: Not documented

Criteria scored as gaps because we could not document them: D, E.

Primary sources

Last verified: October 7, 2026.

Brokerage event contractsGap score 4.5 / 5

Finding: Not covered. Exclusion, where it exists, is a request to the broker, and no terms are published.

Illinois statewide self-exclusion: No
Platform or program exclusion: Robinhood: by request to support. Others: no documented tool
Minimum age: 18 (Robinhood event contracts support page)
Regulator: CFTC (federal), offered through brokerages
Follows the person: No
Length: Robinhood calls it a more permanent restriction; no term published
Reversal: Robinhood: can be re-enabled after a support review
Marketing: Not documented

Criteria scored as gaps because we could not document them: E.

Primary sources

Last verified: October 7, 2026.

Daily fantasy and pick'emGap score 3 / 5

Finding: Required by law to join the state program since June 16, 2026, but the rules that would make it work are not in effect.

Illinois statewide self-exclusion: Required by law, not yet implemented
Platform or program exclusion: Yes, on each platform
Minimum age: 21 by statute; operator terms not yet consistent (230 ILCS 45/25-120.4(b), added by P.A. 104-0468)
Regulator: Illinois Gaming Board (P.A. 104-0468, in force June 16, 2026)
Follows the person: Partly: PrizePicks, Underdog, Dabble and Splash share an exclusion through idPair; FanDuel's state-wide option depends on a state program that does not yet cover Illinois fantasy
Length: PrizePicks: 30 days or more, or lifetime. Underdog: 1, 3, 5 or 10 years, or lifetime. FanDuel: from 1 year
Reversal: PrizePicks and Underdog: cannot be undone. DraftKings and FanDuel: not published
Marketing: PrizePicks: marketing notifications stop. Others: not documented

Primary sources

Last verified: October 7, 2026.

Illinois LotteryGap score 0 / 5

Finding: Not part of the Gaming Board program, but covered by its own binding state program with fixed terms and a marketing ban.

Illinois statewide self-exclusion: No (separate Lottery program)
Platform or program exclusion: Yes: Voluntary Self-Exclusion (online and retail prize claims) and online-only exclusion
Minimum age: 18 (20 ILCS 1605/15; 11 Ill. Adm. Code 1770.145)
Regulator: Illinois Department of the Lottery
Follows the person: Yes, across all Lottery channels; nothing outside the Lottery
Length: Voluntary Self-Exclusion: 1 year, 5 years or lifetime. Online-only: at least 5 years
Reversal: Enrollees stay listed until a removal request is approved; early requests are denied; removal requires treatment documentation
Marketing: Yes: the Lottery removes enrollees from promotional lists and retailers must not market to them

Primary sources

Last verified: October 7, 2026.

Sweepstakes casinosGap score 3.5 / 5

Finding: Not covered. These sites are not licensed in Illinois, and exclusion depends entirely on each operator's policy.

Illinois statewide self-exclusion: No
Platform or program exclusion: Yes, on some platforms
Minimum age: Varies, 18 or 21 by operator (Operator terms)
Regulator: None; not licensed in Illinois. The Gaming Board, with the Attorney General, sent more than 60 cease-and-desist letters in February 2026
Follows the person: Partly: Chumba's exclusion covers one site; exclusion across its sister sites requires contacting support
Length: Chumba: 6 months to 5 years, or indefinite
Reversal: Chumba: timed exclusions reactivate automatically; indefinite can be lifted after 6 months
Marketing: Chumba: excluded players are unsubscribed from all marketing. Others: not documented

Primary sources

Last verified: October 7, 2026.

Offshore sportsbooks and casinosGap score 5 / 5

Finding: Not covered. No Illinois or U.S. regulator oversees them; we could not document any operator exclusion terms.

Illinois statewide self-exclusion: No
Platform or program exclusion: Uncertain
Minimum age: Uncertain (Operator terms could not be retrieved)
Regulator: None; not legal in Illinois. The Gaming Board has sent cease-and-desist letters to offshore sportsbooks
Follows the person: No
Length: Uncertain
Reversal: Uncertain
Marketing: Uncertain

Criteria scored as gaps because we could not document them: B, D, E.

Primary sources

igb.illinois.gov/sports-wagering/cease-and-desist-letters.html

Last verified: October 7, 2026.

Crypto casinosGap score 4 / 5

Finding: Not covered. The largest sites bar U.S. players in their terms, but nothing an Illinois resident enrolls in can reach them.

Illinois statewide self-exclusion: No
Platform or program exclusion: Yes, on some platforms
Minimum age: 18 or local age of majority (stated where retrievable) (Operator terms)
Regulator: None; not legal in Illinois, and the largest sites bar U.S. players in their terms
Follows the person: No
Length: Stake: indefinite exclusion lasts at least 6 months
Reversal: Stake: does not reactivate automatically; reopening is subject to internal review
Marketing: Not documented

Criteria scored as gaps because we could not document them: E.

Primary sources

Last verified: October 7, 2026.

What is changing

Shorter terms, remote enrollment and a marketing list. In September 2026 the Illinois Gaming Board approved proposed amendments adding six-month to indefinite terms, the authority for mail, treatment-provider and online enrollment, and a voluntary Marketing Exclusion List. They take effect only after public rulemaking. Until then, the five-year minimum and in-person enrollment apply.
Video gaming. The Board adopted a resolution the same month making it public policy to bring video gaming into the program, using ID-card readers at redemption terminals. It set no date.
Fantasy contests. Public Act 104-0468 brought fantasy contests under the Gaming Board, set a minimum age of 21 and directed the Board to fold them into self-exclusion. The Board approved proposed rules in September 2026; none had taken effect as of October 7, 2026.
Prediction markets. Illinois has sent cease-and-desist letters to prediction-market operators, and its authority over them is being litigated in federal court.

We will update the scores when any of these take effect.

Methodology

Chicago Addiction Therapy reviewed Illinois statutes and administrative rules, Illinois Gaming Board and Illinois Lottery materials, operator self-exclusion policies, terms of service and responsible-gambling documentation. Each product was evaluated for minimum age, regulator, statewide self-exclusion coverage, operator-level exclusion, length, reversibility, whether the exclusion follows the person across operators, and marketing restrictions. Regulatory claims were checked against two independent copies of the rule text where possible, and every row was rechecked against its sources in a second, independent pass before publication.

For categories without a state program, we reviewed the largest operators by public prominence: Kalshi and Polymarket US; Robinhood, Webull, Interactive Brokers and Coinbase; PrizePicks, Underdog, DraftKings and FanDuel; Chumba, LuckyLand, Pulsz and McLuck; and the largest offshore and crypto sites. Closing an account is not counted as self-exclusion. The headline count of 8 leaves out offshore and crypto sites because they are illegal in Illinois and no state program could cover them; the index and the audit table include all 10. Where the legal status or applicability of a protection was unclear, we labeled the result “uncertain” rather than inferring coverage.

Limits. Operator policies change without notice, and some operator pages could not be retrieved. The audit describes published rules, not how well they are enforced. It is general information, not legal advice.

Policies were last verified on October 7, 2026.

Download the data (CSV)

If you are trying to close these doors

Self-exclusion works best when every door is closed at once. These guides walk through each one:

Illinois Gambling Helpline: call 1-800-GAMBLER or text GAMB to 833234. In a crisis, call or text 988.

More Illinois data: Illinois gambling statistics · Illinois video gambling data · Illinois sports betting data · Illinois casino data · Editorial standards