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Illinois could become the latest state to ban credit card payments for online sports wagering. The Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) has adopted a rule to stop players from using credit cards to fund betting accounts, pushing the change forward for review by the state’s Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR).
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The proposal reflects an effort to support responsible gambling as Illinois reaches five years since launching its regulated sports betting market. If approved by JCAR, the rule would join similar measures already in effect in Iowa, Massachusetts, and Tennessee.
While players in Illinois may soon lose access to credit card funding, the state plans to expand digital payment options. The IGB recently approved cashless wagering for all 17 casinos. Players will be able to use digital wallets and casino accounts to bet, withdraw money, and cash out. The credit card restriction would still apply, even to these digital options.
In the words of IGB Administrator Marcus Fruchter, “As part of our review, we determined that prohibiting the use of credit cards to fund sports wagering accounts is a justified and impactful advancement in Illinois sports wagering. There is a growing body of recent research showing that restrictions on credit usage to fund wagering accounts encourages responsible gambling and mitigates the harms of compulsive gambling.”
Unlike Massachusetts and Tennessee, which introduced the ban at the start of legalized betting, Illinois is following Iowa’s model—adding restrictions a few years after its betting market began.
In addition to payment changes, the IGB also introduced tighter oversight measures for video gaming sales agents and brokers. These include mandatory record-keeping standards aimed at improving transparency and enforcement.
All the new measures adopted by the IGB now await JCAR’s final review. Once approved, these changes would reshape both how Illinois residents fund their gambling activities and how the industry is monitored.