2, 2023: ESPN BET plans to launch on Nov. 14, 2023: ESPN BET goes live with online and mobile sports betting, launching in Illinois and 16 other states. This timeline provides a snapshot of Illinois' sports gambling history: Online sports betting arrived in June 2020 with the launch of the BetRivers sportsbook.
In the spring of 2019, the Illinois state legislature passed a bill that permitted Illinois sports betting at riverboat casinos, horse racetracks, and select sports facilities.