Monday, March 18, 2024

DraftKings Sportsbook Illinois | Best Chicago Sports Betting App

Did you know that placing bets on Chicago sports is now legal in the state of Illinois? That’s right, you can now legally bet money on the Bears, Blackhawks, Bulls, Cubs and White Sox with just a few clicks. The days of blowing up your bookie’s voicemail with your picks are over Chicago.

Back in June 2019, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a massive gambling expansion. The expansion was included in a group of bills with $45 billion worth of construction (six new casinos) and an increase in taxes on gas and cigarettes. This paved the way for Rivers Casino Des Plaines, BetRivers Sportsbook, to accept the first legal sports bet in Illinois in March 2020.

Betting on Chicago sports has never been easier, or legal, and DraftKings Sportsbook is the best mobile app to do it!

DraftKings Sportsbook

The DraftKings Sportsbook has the best overall experience for betting according to its 10+ million registered users. They advertise as the “#1 Sports Betting App” and their promotions are silly. They offer deposit matches, risk-free bets and profit boosts. Imagine betting $1 to win $100, on a regular game with the updated line, that’s the type of stuff happening on DraftKings everyday.

Registering for Bets

  1. Go to the DraftKings Sportsbook website: nothing fancy here, click the link and get started.
  2. Claim your first promotion: currently a sign up bonus up to $1,000 and a $500 risk-free bet.
  3. Create an Account: name, email, password… you know the drill.
  4. Deposit Money: they’ve made this easy, simply put in a credit card or login to your bank.
  5. Make Your First Bet: check out the lines, look at the additional promotions offered, make your first bet.

That’s it. Winnings are instantly paid out when the game/bet is over and you can withdraw your money anytime. There are no hidden rules where you have to let your money sit on the system, you can put your money in or take it out whenever you want. This is one of the things that makes the DraftKings Sportsbook the best mobile app for Chicago sports betting.

Screenshots of the DraftKings Sportsbook App

Pros

    • Crazy Good Promotions
    • Very Secure
    • Easy to Use
    • No Hidden Rules/Fees

Cons

    • Crowded Interface At Times
    • Some Peak Time Slowness

Reviews of the DraftKings Sportsbook App

The DraftKings Sportsbook app currently has over 101,000 reviews on iTunes with a 4.8 rating. The primary complaint in the reviews is the customer service of DraftKings, you’d have to think that likely comes from having 10+ million registered users. In any case, the overall opinion of the fans is the DraftKings Sportsbook is awesome.

 

Promotions

DraftKings bonuses and promotions are the best in the business. They are currently offering a two-tiered bonus that can be worth up to $1,000!

Here’s how it works:

  • The matched first bet: This applies to first-time users when they make their first bet at DraftKings Sportsbook. Here’s an example: If your first bet is $250, you will get $250 in free bets instantly added to your DraftKings account in the form of bonus bets. The max DraftKings will match your first bet is $500.
  • The deposit bonus: It’s a 20% match worth up to $500. So if you deposit $100, you would earn a $20 bonus. To receive the max $500 bonus, you would have to deposit $2,500.
  • No promo code is needed to redeem this exclusive $1,000 sign-up bonus.

This doesn’t even include all the other games/promotions included inside of the app. These come in various different forms allowing you to win extra money, move the line a few points in your favor or make bets for FREE.

Getting Started

So … what do you think? Are you ready to make your first bet? To get started all you have to do is follow the registration steps above. There’s also some terminology you should be familiar with.

  • Spread: the amount of points a team is the favorite/underdog by.
    • Example: The Bears were a 2.5 underdog to the Lions, so the Bears get +2.5 points if you bet on them. If the Lions win by one point, the people betting on the Bears would win the bet.
  • Over/Under: the total amount of points expected for the game.
    • Example: The over/under for the Bears vs. Lions game was 42.5. The final score was 27-23, making the total 50. Those that bet the over would have won.
  • Money Line: a bet made on the team winning the game, regardless of the spread.
    • Example: The Bears were getting 2.5 points against the Lions, if you bet them to win the game straight up,  you would get the money line odds which were +115. This means you would get $1.15 for every $1.00 you bet on the Bears. 

The primary ways to bet are as follows.

  • Bet on the spread
  • Take the over, or under
  • Pick a team to win based on money line odds

That’s basically it.

Watching a game you’ve bet on makes the experience more fun and it creates another level of excitement. If you’ve ever thought about doing it, give the DraftKings Sportsbook a try. It’s perfect for new bettors, and they’ve got some awesome promotions you can take advantage of.

draftkings sportsbook promo

DraftKings Sportsbook Illinois FAQ

Is DraftKings Sportsbooklegal in Illinois?

Yes, it is now legal to bet on sports using DraftKings in Illinois. The original bill was signed into law by Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker in mid-2019 and the first legal sports wager was made in Illinois in 2020 by Rivers Casino Des Plaines.

Is DraftKings safe?

Yes, DraftKings is located in the United States (Boston) and is one of the largest sportsbooks in the country. With over 10 million players nationwide, DraftKings has built a secure mobile platform that allows players to easily bet on their favorite teams and be safe while doing so.

Where is it legal to bet on sports using DraftKings?

Currently, there are eight states where you can bet on sports using DraftKings. They are Iowa, Illinois, New Jersey, West Virginia, New Hampshire, Colorado, Pennsylvania and Indiana. This is expected to expand as the United States become more lenient on the online gambling laws in the country.

What is DraftKings Sportsbook Illinois?

DraftKings is an established, American-born, company that currently has over 10 million players worldwide. They are an industry-leader in technology and have one of the safest betting platforms in the world. The company was originally founded in 2012 and has 800+ employees. The stock symbol is DKNG.

Is there a DraftKings Sportsbook Illinois mobile app?

Yes, and it’s one of the best in the business. The app is currently available for iOS and Android making it easily accessible. It’s also free and has a 5-star rating on both platforms. Take advantage of the latest promotions if you decided to download it. Start here.

Do I have to pay taxes on my DraftKings winnings?

The current rate is 15% of all winnings. This means if you win $100 betting on the Chicago Bears, you will have to pay $15 to the U.S. Government for allowing you to play.

This is an important thing to remember as you start the process of betting online.


Can you bet on sports in Chicago?

Yes, betting on sports is now legal in the entire state of Illinois. The bulk of the action is expected to take place in Chicago with the five main professional sports teams housed there, but the DraftKings sportsbook is available for anyone in the state to use.

DraftKings Sportsbook Illinois Editor’s Review

DraftKings currently ranks as our #1 mobile app when it comes to online sports betting in Illinois. The promotions are very clear, the registration process is easy and everything happens instantaneously on the app. There are no hidden fees and taking advantage of the modernized technology allows you to easily deposit/withdraw money. The app is secure allowing you to login with a faceID easing concerns about somebody stealing your password. The boost bets allow you to modify the odds into your favor making your chances of winning money even better. There are currently no complaints when it comes to the DraftKings experience, if you’re interested download the app and place your first bet.

DraftKings Sportsbook Illinois Deposit & Withdraw Options

The deposit process is pretty easy, and instantaneous. You can use a credit card, or you can use their interface to login to your bank and choose your account. The deposit minimum for the DraftKings Sportsbook is $5, and if you do deposit the five spot you earn the ability to earn up to $500 addition bonus funds in the form of site credits moving forward.

If a bank deposit or credit card isn’t your thing, there’s actually several ways to withdraw and deposit money using the DraftKings Sportsbook.

  1. Bank account
  2. Credit card
  3. Debit card
  4. Prepaid DraftKings card (Play+)
  5. PayPal
  6. Casino cage
  7. E-Check

DraftKings also features a worry-free payout. This basically means your money is secure no matter what happens to DraftKings the company. If you wake up one day and DraftKings has gone bankrupt, your money would be secured using the liability policies DraftKings has in place to protect it. You can rest assured your money will be safe and secure while it is inside of the DraftKings Sportsbook application.

DraftKings Sportsbook Illinois News

Hall-of-Fame Chicago Bulls player Michael Jordan has officially signed on as a DraftKings board member advisor and will also be an investor in the company. Jordan will join DraftKings as a special advisor to the board in his new role.

The online registration for sports gambling in Illinois has been extended to October 17th. The original deadline was supposed to end on September 19th and force all players to go into a physical sportsbook to register for online gambling. We’ll continue to monitor this and see if it opens more opportunities in the future.

Online Sportsbooks in Illinois

Illinois Online Sportsbooks

Promotions for Illinois Sports Betting

DraftKings Sportsbook Illinois $1,000 Free Bonus
FanDuel Sportsbook Illinois $1,000 Risk-Free Bet
William Hill Sportsbook Illinois Mockery300 promo code
BetRivers Sportsbook Illinois $250 Free Deposit
PointsBet Sportsbook Illinois Mockery promo code