Can you play online slots in Illinois?
Yes, but you’ll only be able to do so on certain websites. Illinois lawmakers haven’t yet gotten close to allowing online casinos to operate in the Midwestern US state, although you will find slot machines at a range of real-world locations across the state. You can enjoy online sports betting in the Prairie State, so perhaps that will eventually lead to real money casinos being added too.
You do still have one option though. You can legally play casino-style slots at a range of online sweepstakes casinos. You’ll notice a similar scenario currently in force for anyone searching for
Indiana online casino slots, too. They’re legal because the sweepstakes format is completely different to playing at online casinos using real funds. You can play for free at these sites, using either Gold Coins (GCs) or Sweeps Coins (SCs) to do so. We’ll go through some of the top sites shortly, but before we do, let’s see how sweepstakes casinos work and how you can play slots there.
Using Gold Coins and Sweeps Coins at sweepstakes casinos
If you’re new to this type of site, you’ll be wondering what the differences are between these two. We’ve put together a table to help you understand everything before you consider signing up anywhere.
| Gold Coins (abbreviated to GCs) |
Sweeps Coins (abbreviated to SCs) |
| You can play social games with these |
You can play sweepstakes casino-style games using these |
| You can’t win real prizes using them |
You can win Sweeps Coins via gameplay, redeeming your SC winnings to exchange for a real prize (usually cash or a gift card) |
| Collect GCs via the welcome bonus, daily login bonus, and via winning spins on slots among other methods |
Collect SCs in several ways – often via the signup bonus and daily login bonus, and via social media competitions; you’ve also got the Alternative Method of Entry or AMoE via a mailed request |
| You can purchase more GCs if you want to, but it’s always optional |
You can’t purchase any Sweeps Coins |
You should pick up some Gold Coins upon signup at one of these sites, and most sites have one or two Sweeps Coins to give you at that point as well. You’ll receive a free signup bonus when you join, rather than a no deposit bonus, as you can’t make any deposits anyway. That’s why you won’t find any
Indiana online casino no-deposit bonus
offers either, since residents there can only use sweepstakes casinos and no real money casinos at present.
Playing Illinois online slots at sweepstakes casinos
If you’re familiar with online slot games, you may well spot some familiar titles when you visit one or two sweepstakes casinos in the Prairie State. While you can sometimes find exclusive titles to play, you’ll also see slots from famous developers – ones that often crop up at real money casinos in other states, too. We’ve tried slots from Hacksaw Gaming, Playson, Booming Games, and many more when playing at sweepstakes casinos.
Let’s go through some of the slot types you might see when you begin checking out some of the sweepstakes casinos and
Illinois casino apps
they sometimes issue. To be clear, you can typically play online slots in Illinois on your smartphone, tablet, or computer, no matter which site you check out.
You’ll usually find three reels when you load a classic slot. A good example is Fruity Classic from Barbara Bang, which you can try at Stake.us. You’ll find lots of classic slots have either a fruity theme or involve some classic symbols. Those include 7s, bar symbols, flames, and similar simplistic icons. You won’t often find any special features either – it’s all about lining up three matching symbols to win.
3D slot games pull you into the action, offering 3D imagery that is often sharp and full of details. Most 3D slots include five reels and potentially one or two bonus rounds. For example, you may get an on-reels feature where you can pick one icon to win something (in this case, more Gold Coins or Sweeps Coins, depending on what you’re playing with at the time). Some bonus rounds take place on another screen, which may involve searching for something. For example, a safari-themed slot might ask you to pick a hiding place to see what’s there.
You can usually spot these quite easily as they’ll have Megaways in the title. They provide up to 117,649 ways to win, but the actual Megaways per spin will depend on how many symbols land on each reel. You’ll see a message next to the reels confirming the total for that spin. We’ve noticed many successful slots eventually receive a Megaways upgrade. For example, BGaming has several slots in their Aztec Magic series, and one has the Megaways format in action.
Many modern slots include five reels. This also provides room for anywhere from 10 to 100 paylines, depending on whether you’ve got three or more icons landing on each reel. For example, Duel at Dawn from Hacksaw Gaming is a five-reel game based on the Wild West. It offers 10 lines and two bonus rounds.
If you could play real slots online in Illinois, you’d be looking at cash jackpots. However, when you play at sweepstakes casinos, you’ll either play for Gold Coin jackpots or Sweeps Coin jackpots, depending on whether you’re playing in the social or sweepstakes format. You’ll usually see two main types to try:
- Fixed jackpots
– these offer fixed amounts of GCs or SCs depending on what you’re playing with.
- Progressive jackpots
– again, these could involve GCs or SCs, but this time the amount will increase as more people play.
Most slots include a theme – even three-reel classic slots could be based around fruit or classic symbols, for example. Some of the more popular themes include seasonal slots, and those set in ancient Egypt, underwater, or outer space. One of our favorite themed slots is Le Count, a Halloween-themed slot from Hacksaw Gaming that’s available at Stake.us just now.
Play online slots in Illinois at these top sweepstakes sites
We’ve researched the best sweepstakes casinos you can try in this Midwestern state, listing them for you here. You won’t find an
Illinois online casino no deposit bonus
offer, since you can’t make deposits at sweepstakes casinos. You can, however, pick up some Gold Coins, Sweeps Coins, or the equivalent at each of the sites, as you’re about to see.
RealPrize: offers titles from multiple sources
Look forward to playing slots from Booming Games, Relax Gaming, and NetEnt, as you settle into this excellent sweepstakes site in Illinois. You’ll receive 100,000 Gold Coins and 2 Sweeps Coins when you join, so you’ve got plenty of Gold Coins to use when trying out some of their slots. I’ve tried Double Joker Hold & Win (one of several Hold & Win titles you can check out there), along with some animal-themed slots such as Raging Buffalo and Golden Tiger. You can follow them on social media too. Look out for competitions with Gold Coin and Sweeps Coin prize potential.
LoneStar Casino: ideal for slot fans
You can collect 100,000 Gold Coins when you join LoneStar, plus your first 2.5 Sweeps Coins. We found hundreds of Illinois online slots to play, such as Sword King from Swintt, plus Mooncake Riches Hold & Win from Kalamba Games. We found a solid FAQ section to read – ideal if you’re new to LoneStar and want some more info about it. We’ve also noticed lots of positive reviews for LoneStar Casino on TrustPilot, with the company responding to many comments. It’s one of the newer sweepstakes casinos you can try in the Prairie State, and already one of the best, too.
Stake.us: a comprehensive bonus deal
Use our exclusive code when you join this sweepstakes casino and you’ll pick up 56 Stake Cash, 560,000 Gold Coins, and 3.5% rakeback. It’s split into three sections. When you join and verify your account, you’ll get 250k GCs and 25 SCs. you can then get 10k GCs plus 1 SC per day every day for 30 days as your daily login boost, which adds up to another 300k Gold Coins and 30 Stake Cash. Our exclusive bonus also provides you with 10k Gold Coins, 1 Stake Cash and 3.5% rakeback. That sets you up nicely to play any of over 2,100 online slots there, including the Stake Original, Scarab Spin, and popular titles such as Wanted Dead or a Wild and RIP City.
Pros and cons of playing sweepstakes online slots in Illinois
You’ll find plenty of
Illinois online casinos
using the sweepstakes format. We’ve seen some differences between these and real money sites, but we’ve laid out more pros than cons below. If you’re keen on slots, you’ll certainly have hundreds to choose from no matter which sweepstakes site you decide to visit. Just remember that you’ll need to decide whether to play using Gold Coins or Sweeps Coins when you find a slot you’d like to try.
Pros and Cons
- Plenty of slots
- Play for free
- Adopts the sweepstakes format
- Legal to play in Illinois
- Can’t directly win prizes
You’ve got hundreds of online slots to play in Illinois
Even though you can’t access any real money casinos online in the Land of Lincoln, you can still enjoy slots at a range of sweepstakes casinos. You can visit Stake.us, RealPrize, and LoneStar by using any of the links we’ve given you here, to see what you make of them. Each site has hundreds of slots to play, and you can do so in casual mode or in sweepstakes mode. You’ve got a chance to win some Sweeps Coins (or equivalent) in sweepstakes mode, and you can redeem your SC winnings for a real prize if you get enough to do so. Don’t forget to pick up your welcome bonus if you sign up anywhere to give you the ideal start.
Our favorite social casino bonuses
1.
Get 200% More Coins on First Purchase – 1.5M CC + 75 SC
Playthrough: 1x Bonus
2.
Get up to 750K Gold Coins + 65 SC FREE
3.
Get up to 500K Gold Coins + 105 FREE SC + 1000 VIP points
4.
120,000 GC + 60 Free SC + a chance to win 500 Free SC
5.
Real Prize Promo Code
625K Golden Coins + Up to 125 SC FREE + 1250 VIP Points
Online slots in Illinois FAQs
🗓️ When did slots become legal in Illinois?
Residents of Illinois have been able to play real slot machines since 2009. However, they cannot yet play online slots at real money casinos. The only possibility is to sign up at a sweepstakes casino.
🏆 What is the best online casino in Illinois?
Illinois only permits sweepstakes casinos to operate online. Stake.us is among the best, offering hundreds of slot games and other casino-style games to play.
💰 Can you play online slots for real money in Illinois?
You won’t find any real money casinos online in this state. However, you can still legally play at sweepstakes casinos in Illinois. You’ll find plenty of slots at sweepstakes casinos like Stake.us, RealPrize, and LoneStar Casino.
✅ Are sweepstakes casinos legal online in Illinois?
Yes – players who live in the state can legally play slots and other casino-style games at sweepstakes casinos. They’re allowed under sweepstakes law, which permits this format within Illinois state borders.
🎁 Can you win real prizes playing slots at sweepstakes casinos in Illinois?
You can’t win prizes directly from slot games. You can play using Sweeps Coins and if you win some, you can redeem SC winnings for a real prize, which may be cash or a gift card. Make sure you check the options and minimum SC redemption amounts for each site you decide to visit if you live in Illinois.
