Illinois Gaming Board approves adjustments to drawback playing program

Illinois Gaming Board approves adjustments to drawback playing program

Published 11:19 am Saturday, September 5, 2026

CHICAGO — The Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) adopted a number of adjustments to modernize its voluntary Self-Exclusion Program, together with a decision committing the company to finally incorporate video gaming into this system that at the moment permits people to bar themselves from on line casino playing and sports activities wagering.

The Self-Exclusion Program (SEP), established in 2002, was among the many first voluntary exclusion applications of its type within the United States. Gambling in Illinois has expanded considerably since then, significantly following a 2019 gaming enlargement regulation, prompting the board to revisit this system’s construction as scientific understanding of playing issues has developed.

“Modernization and expansion of the SEP must keep pace with the evolution of Illinois gaming in a thoughtful and intentional manner,” stated IGB Administrator Marcus D. Fruchter. “The IGB is committed to ensuring that the SEP continues to evolve, expands coverage, serves the needs of program participants, and best supports people in their treatment and recovery journeys without barriers and stigma.”

The board adopted three amendments to this system’s administrative guidelines, developed with enter from outdoors researchers. The adjustments exchange this system’s current lifetime ban with tiered enrollment durations of six months, one yr, three years, 5 years, or an indefinite time period, with a five-year minimal exclusion interval. Officials stated the change is meant to cut back obstacles to enrollment and align Illinois with peer gaming jurisdictions that supply related flexibility.

The board additionally approved the company to broaden enrollment channels past the roughly 41 in-person websites, together with the state’s 17 casinos, at the moment required for sign-up. Future choices might embrace a notarized mail various, remedy supplier referrals, or an internet portal, although the company stated implementing these channels would require additional technical improvement and assessment.

Additionally, the board created a voluntary Marketing Exclusion List that might prolong the present prohibition on focused advertising and marketing to self-excluded people for a default interval of 12 months past the tip of their elected exclusion time period. The listing restricts advertising and marketing licensees might direct at former self-excluded patrons however doesn’t stop these people from taking part in promotions in the event that they select to.

The three amendments will undergo the general public rulemaking course of earlier than the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules earlier than taking impact, and the gaming board is inviting public remark.

The board individually adopted a decision affirming its intent to finally convey video gaming into the Self-Exclusion Program, which at the moment doesn’t cowl Illinois’s video gaming business, described by the company as the most important distributed video gaming community of its type on the planet. “Expanding coverage of the Self-Exclusion Program to include video gaming is an important IGB priority and responsible gambling policy objective,” Fruchter stated.

Under the endorsed strategy, video gaming terminals could be geared up with identification card readers and use ticket-in-ticket-out know-how, that means the machines would now not settle for or retailer money immediately. No adjustments took impact Thursday; the company stated subsequent steps embrace creating technical requirements and proposed guidelines that may undergo the general public rulemaking course of.

In different motion, the board adopted guidelines implementing latest amendments to the state’s Sports Wagering Act that give the company regulatory oversight of fantasy contests, that are legally distinct from sports activities playing beneath Illinois regulation. The guidelines would require fantasy contest operators to comply with most of the identical procedures as sports activities wagering operators, combine fantasy contests into the Self-Exclusion Program, and require members to be not less than 21 years previous. Those guidelines can even proceed via the general public rulemaking course of.

The board additionally renewed the on line casino house owners license of Hollywood Casino Joliet for 4 years, via 2030. The on line casino, beforehand positioned alongside the Des Plaines River for greater than three a long time, opened a brand new land-based facility close to the interchange of Interstates 80 and 55 in August 2025.

The board moreover authorized a variety of different licensing issues, together with renewals and new licenses for on line casino, video gaming, and sports activities wagering operators, whereas denying a small variety of purposes throughout these classes.

Illinois is house to 17 casinos, 14 energetic sportsbooks, and almost 9,000 licensed video gaming institutions, in keeping with the gaming board. The board’s subsequent assembly is scheduled for Oct. 22.