Sweepstakes laws in Illinois

Disclosure: this site's publisher, Luck Incorporated LLC, operates Chance Infinite, one of the apps in these databases. Its entry is built from its own documents under the same rules as every other entry. This is reference information, not legal advice; official rules and statutes control.

Last verified October 3, 2026. On October 16, 2026 an automated check re-opened 26 of its 27 sources and found no change. Every line below cites a document; numbers in brackets point to the source list.

Status

Regulator or attorney-general action

Enforcement actions on record

1

Ranked free apps open to residents

6 of 6

Sweepstakes-casino brands and Illinois

4 exclude it, 0 limit it, of 18 tracked

Bills

• SB 3439 (104th General Assembly, 2026): re-referred to the Senate Assignments Committee under Rule 3-9(a) on May 22, 2026; no later action listed; not enacted. [S19]
  What the bill does

  Filed February 4, 2026 by Sen. Bill Cunningham. Per its synopsis, it would expand the definition of gambling device to electronic machines that offer entry into a sweepstakes or similar chance-based selection incidental to a purchase, provide that a participant in a free-entry game of skill or chance is protected from a gambling conviction “except where conducted through the use of a gambling device or by means of the Internet”, and make a gambling offense involving such a device a Class 4 felony. Its text adds the Internet wording to 720 ILCS 5/28-1(b)(13) (S20).

• HB 5030 (104th General Assembly, 2026): referred to the House Rules Committee on February 10, 2026; no later action listed; not enacted. [S21]
  What the bill does

  Filed February 4, 2026 by Rep. Robert "Bob" Rita. Its synopsis is the same as the SB 3439 synopsis, including the exception for free-entry games “conducted through the use of a gambling device or by means of the Internet”.

• HB 5139 (104th General Assembly, 2026): assigned to the House Gaming Committee March 4, 2026; re-referred to the House Rules Committee under Rule 19(a) on March 27, 2026; no later action listed; not enacted. [S22]
  What the bill does

  Filed February 5, 2026 by Rep. Daniel Didech. A video gaming bill whose synopsis describes Video Gaming Act and tax-distribution changes and a Class 4 felony for gambling offenses involving electronic machines; its text also adds the wording “except where conducted through use of a gambling device or by means of the Internet” to 720 ILCS 5/28-1(b)(13) (S23).

• SB 1705 (104th General Assembly, 2025): re-referred to the Senate Assignments Committee under Rule 3-9(a) on April 11, 2025, together with Senate Committee Amendment No. 1; no later action listed; not enacted. [S13]
  What the bill does

  Filed February 5, 2025 by Sen. Bill Cunningham. As introduced, it would expand the definition of gambling device to electronic machines offering sweepstakes entries incidental to a purchase and narrow the free-entry protection for games played on such a device. Senate Committee Amendment No. 1, filed April 2, 2025 and not adopted, would instead except free-entry games “conducted through use of a gambling device or by means of the Internet” (S24).

• HB 2879 (104th General Assembly, 2025): re-referred to the House Rules Committee under Rule 19(a) on March 27, 2026, with House Committee Amendment No. 1; no later action listed; not enacted. [S27]
  What the bill does

  Filed February 5, 2025 by Rep. Robert "Bob" Rita, with the same synopsis as SB 1705 as introduced. House Committee Amendment No. 1, filed March 6, 2025 and not adopted, would except free-entry games “conducted through use of a gambling device or by means of the Internet” (S25).

Enforcement

• February 4, 2026, Illinois Gaming Board, in coordination with the Office of the Illinois Attorney General: cease-and-desist letters (65 listed on the board's index) against 65 recipients named on the board's index, including Chumba Casino, LuckyLand Slots, Global Poker, Stake (stake.us), Pulsz, McLuck Casino, Fortune Coins, High 5 Casino, Crown Coins Casino, WOW Vegas, RealPrize, Modo and Zula Casino (full list in notes). Status: issued. [S1]
  What the record says

  The letters are dated February 4, 2026 and the board announced them on February 5, 2026. Each letter we opened (Pulsz, Stake (stake.us), Chumba Casino, Fortune Coins, LuckyLand Slots) says the board “has reason to believe” the recipient is engaged in the operation of an illegal online casino in violation of 720 ILCS 5/28-1(a)(12), and demands that it block Illinois residents or discontinue offering cash, gift cards and other prizes, warning that failure may bring civil or criminal penalties. None of those letters sets a deadline.

Rules for any sweepstakes in Illinois

• No payment to receive a prize (815 ILCS 525/20): [S10]
  What the rule requires

  Under the Prizes and Gifts Act, “No sponsor may require a person in this State to pay the sponsor money as a condition of awarding the person a prize, or as a condition of allowing the person to receive, use, compete for, or obtain information about a prize.” Section 15 limits the Act to written promotional offers that are made to a person in Illinois, or that are used to induce or invite a person to come to Illinois or to contact a promoter, sponsor, salesperson or agent in Illinois (815 ILCS 525/15; S18).

• Required disclosures in written prize offers (815 ILCS 525/25): [S11]
  What the rule requires

  A written promotional prize offer must state, at the onset of the offer, the sponsor's true name and principal business address, the retail value of each prize, that no purchase is necessary, that a purchase will not improve the chances of winning, the odds of receiving each prize, any fees or charges to obtain or use a prize, any restrictions and any eligibility limits.

Free sweepstakes apps open to Illinois residents

Our ranked apps, by what each one's own official rules say about Illinois. Chance Infinite is operated by this site's publisher.

Sweepstakes casinos and Illinois

What the 18 sweepstakes-casino brands in our database say about Illinois in their own documents. These lists give no grade; some of these brands pay SweepstakeReport a commission through the links on their fact sheets. We do not judge whether any brand may operate in Illinois, and documents change often.

• Exclude Illinois: Fortune Wins, Sportzino, Stake.us, Zula Casino
• Limit Illinois (for example Gold Coin only): none
• Do not exclude it: Chumba Casino, Crown Coins Casino, Global Poker, Hello Millions, High 5 Casino, Jackpota, Legendz, LuckyLand Casino, McLuck, Mega Bonanza, Modo, Pulsz, Pulsz Bingo, Spree

159 sweepstakes casinos' own terms do not exclude Illinois: see the casino list for Illinois.

Regulator

Illinois Gaming Board

Notes

What we could not establish

• Whether recipients replied to or complied with the letters: the board has published no follow-up we could find. A trade report we opened (S17, labelled secondary) makes claims about which platforms still serve Illinois, but it also says McLuck, Crown Coins and RealPrize were not among the 65 named operators, which the board's own index contradicts (S2); we do not rely on it.
• We found no separate Illinois Attorney General lawsuit against a sweepstakes-casino operator in the sources checked on 2026-10-03; the Attorney General's own release list was not searched.
• Private lawsuits by players against sweepstakes-casino operators were not surveyed for this record; they are not state action.

Common questions

Does Illinois have a law on online sweepstakes casinos?

We found no statute in Illinois that names online sweepstakes casinos in the sources we checked, last verified October 3, 2026. Status on this page: regulator or attorney-general action.

Which ranked free sweepstakes apps accept Illinois residents?

Per their own official rules, Chance Infinite, Coinnect, Prizes by GAMEE, Winsome Rewards, PCH+ and PCH Lotto accept residents of Illinois. Chance Infinite is operated by the publisher of this site.

Do sweepstakes casinos accept players in Illinois?

Of the 18 sweepstakes casino brands in our database, 4 exclude Illinois and 0 limit it in their own documents, last verified October 3, 2026. Documents change often, so read the current terms first.

Sources

1. S1 Illinois Gaming Board, Cease and Desist Letters, retrieved October 3, 2026
2. S2 Illinois Gaming Board, Cease-and-desist letter index (data behind the Cease and Desist Letters page), retrieved October 3, 2026
3. S3 Illinois Gaming Board, Illinois Gaming Board and Attorney General's Office Issue more than 60 Cease-and-Desist Letters to Illegal Online Casino and Sweepstakes Operators (February 5, 2026), retrieved October 3, 2026
4. S4 Illinois Gaming Board, Letter to Pulsz (February 4, 2026), retrieved October 3, 2026
5. S5 Illinois Gaming Board, Letter to Stake (stake.us) (February 4, 2026), retrieved October 3, 2026
6. S6 Illinois Gaming Board, Letter to Chumba Casino (February 4, 2026), retrieved October 3, 2026
7. S7 Illinois Gaming Board, Letter to Fortune Coins (February 4, 2026), retrieved October 3, 2026
8. S8 Illinois Gaming Board, Letter to LuckyLand Slots (February 4, 2026), retrieved October 3, 2026
9. S9 Illinois General Assembly, 720 ILCS 5/28-1 Gambling, retrieved October 3, 2026
10. S10 Illinois General Assembly, 815 ILCS 525/20 No payment required (Prizes and Gifts Act), retrieved October 3, 2026
11. S11 Illinois General Assembly, 815 ILCS 525/25 Disclosures required (Prizes and Gifts Act), retrieved October 3, 2026
12. S12 Illinois General Assembly, Legislation search, 104th General Assembly: sweepstakes, retrieved October 3, 2026
13. S13 Illinois General Assembly, Bill Status of SB1705, 104th General Assembly, retrieved October 3, 2026
14. S14 Pulsz, Where can I find Pulsz in the US? (help center), retrieved October 3, 2026
15. S15 Sweepsteaks Limited (Stake.us), Stake.us Terms of Use, version 18.0, retrieved October 3, 2026
16. S16 Social Gaming LLC and Social Gaming LTD (Fortune Wins), Fortune Wins Sweeps Rules, version 4.7, retrieved October 3, 2026
17. S17 iGamingFuture, The Illinois Gaming Board ordered 65 Sweepstakes Casinos to Block You (last updated September 30, 2026) (secondary reporting), retrieved October 3, 2026
18. S18 Illinois General Assembly, 815 ILCS 525/15 Application of Act (Prizes and Gifts Act), retrieved October 3, 2026
19. S19 Illinois General Assembly, Bill Status of SB3439, 104th General Assembly, retrieved October 3, 2026
20. S20 Illinois General Assembly, SB3439, introduced text, retrieved October 3, 2026
21. S21 Illinois General Assembly, Bill Status of HB5030, 104th General Assembly, retrieved October 3, 2026
22. S22 Illinois General Assembly, Bill Status of HB5139, 104th General Assembly, retrieved October 3, 2026
23. S23 Illinois General Assembly, HB5139, introduced text, retrieved October 3, 2026
24. S24 Illinois General Assembly, SB1705, Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 (text), retrieved October 3, 2026
25. S25 Illinois General Assembly, HB2879, House Committee Amendment No. 1 (text), retrieved October 3, 2026
26. S26 Illinois Gaming Board, Letter to Chanced (February 4, 2026), retrieved October 3, 2026
27. S27 Illinois General Assembly, Bill Status of HB2879, 104th General Assembly, retrieved October 3, 2026

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