Sports Betting in Illinois: When It Stops Being Fun
Betting on a game used to mean a trip to a casino. Now it is an app on your phone, open all night.
For professionals in Chicago and Illinois: If you have questions about psychiatric care, evaluation process, or treatment options, consultation can help clarify your options. The practice opens in 2028 — join the notification list to hear when I am taking patients.
Illinois legalized sports betting in a 2019 law, and betting apps now run at all hours, with push notifications and bonus credits that encourage the next bet. Illinois sports bettors lost nearly $1.5 billion in a single recent year, and more than $900 million has gone to parlay bets since 2020.
Most people who bet do so without harm. But a report from the Illinois Department of Human Services found that 68% of Illinois adults gambled in the past year, about 3.8% (roughly 383,000 people) have a gambling problem, and another 7.7% are at risk.
Signs Betting Has Become a Problem
- Chasing losses: betting more to win back what you lost
- Needing bigger bets to feel the same excitement
- Hiding how much you bet, or borrowing money to keep going
- Feeling restless or irritable when you try to cut back
- Betting to escape stress, boredom, or low mood
- Thinking about the next bet during work, family time, or sleep
Why Professionals Can Miss It
A high income can hide losses for a long time. People who are analytical and competitive may believe their knowledge gives them an edge, which makes losses feel like bad luck rather than a pattern. Recovering gamblers in Illinois describe meeting rooms filling with more and more young men.
Gambling, Mood, and Other Substances
Problem gambling often travels with depression, anxiety, ADHD, and alcohol use. Treating only one of these rarely works. A clinician should ask about all of them together.
Where to Get Help in Illinois
- Illinois gambling helpline: call 1-800-GAMBLER (800-426-2537) or text GAMB to 833234
- Self-exclusion: the Illinois Gaming Board runs a voluntary program that bans you from Illinois casinos and sportsbooks. Enrollment is in person, and the minimum period is five years.
- Sportsbook limits: most apps let you set deposit limits, time limits, or take a break from your account
- Treatment: the Illinois Department of Human Services funds treatment providers for gambling disorder, and therapy approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy have evidence
- Peer support: Gamblers Anonymous meets throughout Chicagoland
If gambling losses have left you feeling hopeless or thinking about suicide, call or text 988 now.
- Capitol News Illinois. Addicted to gambling in Illinois. https://capitolnewsillinois.com/news/addicted-to-gambling-in-illinois-someone-has-decided-they-can-make-money-off-you/
- NewsChannel 20. 68% of Illinoisans gambled in past year, report says (Illinois Department of Human Services prevalence report). https://newschannel20.com/news/local/68-of-illinoisans-gambled-in-past-year-report-says
- Illinois Gaming Board. 2024 gaming tax revenue and responsible gaming resources. https://igb.illinois.gov/news/press-release.30915.html
Published 2026 · Reviewed for accuracy against the sources listed above.
About the Author
Jerrin Mathew, BSN, RN
Registered nurse with a clinical background spanning emergency medical services, ICU care, skilled nursing, cardiac telemetry, and neurocritical care at a Level I trauma center. Currently completing graduate education in psychiatric-mental health nursing, with an expected graduation in 2027.
Writing here focuses on the intersection of psychiatric illness and demanding professional life — what gets missed, what gets mislabelled, and what is worth taking to a clinician.
More about my background →