Illinois lawmakers have resumed efforts to legalize online casinos less than a month after Gov. JB Pritzker publicly endorsed the idea as a way to address the budget deficit. The identical bills in the Illinois House of Representatives and Senate come from familiar sources: Rep. Edgar González, Jr. and Sen. Cristina Castro.
Castro and González have been behind similar efforts in Illinois in each of the past two legislative sessions, albeit without much success. Illinois’ two-year sessions mean the effort has been ongoing since 2021.
The same obstacles that thwarted previous attempts remain in 2025. However, Illinois’ financial situation has changed, and the Governor’s support might mean this latest push makes it further through the legislative process.
