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Illinois gambling regulators want to make self exclusion easier to enter and broader in scope as gambling losses and problem gambling concerns continue to rise across the state.
The Illinois Gaming Board unanimously advanced three rule changes that would add shorter exclusion periods, more enrollment routes and marketing protections for people returning to legal gambling.
Good to Know
- Nearly 16,000 people currently use the Illinois self exclusion programme.
- New options would include six month, one year and three year exclusion periods.
- Illinois gamblers lost about $7.8 billion last year across casinos, video gaming, lottery and sports betting.
Illinois Wants Easier Entry Into Self Exclusion
Current Illinois rules generally require people to exclude themselves for at least five years or indefinitely.
The proposed system would add six month, one year and three year terms. People choosing shorter periods would automatically re enter the programme at the end of each term unless they choose to leave.
Longer exclusions would keep tougher removal requirements. Anyone seeking removal after a five year or indefinite term would still need an affidavit or letter from a certified gambling addiction counsellor.
Illinois Gaming Board administrator Marcus Fruchter said:
“Research shows that shame, embarrassment, stigma and procedural friction at the point of entry are among the barriers most consistently reported by persons who considered but did not complete self-exclusion enrollment.”
Illinois currently lacks several enrollment methods available elsewhere, including an active online portal, notarised mail applications and direct treatment provider pathways.
Another proposed rule would stop gambling operators from sending targeted marketing to people leaving self exclusion for at least 12 months.
Video Gaming Terminals Could Join Programme
One major gap remains outside the current system.
Illinois has more than 50,000 video gaming terminals across roughly 9,000 locations, but self excluded players can still use them. The Gaming Board now plans to bring those machines into the programme through identity card readers.
The technology forms part of a broader cashless gaming transition. Illinois has a 10 year, $162 million contract with LNW Gaming covering terminal upgrades, including self exclusion functionality.
The transition has a December 31, 2027 deadline.
Fantasy contests will also become part of the voluntary self exclusion framework under changes to the Illinois Sports Wagering Act. State law now requires fantasy contest operators to participate in the programme, while players must be at least 21.
Gambling Losses Have Tripled Since 2002
Illinois launched its self exclusion programme in 2002, when gamblers lost more than $2.5 billion at casinos and through the lottery.
Annual losses reached about $7.8 billion last year after decades of expansion into video gaming and sports betting.
A state commissioned study estimates 383,000 Illinois adults have a gambling problem and another 761,000 face elevated risk.
Funding has not kept pace. An Illinois Answers Project and Capitol News Illinois investigation found the state spent less than 6 cents on gambling addiction treatment for every $100 collected in gambling tax revenue last year.
The proposed self exclusion rules will now go through public comment and review by the General Assembly Joint Committee on Administrative Rules. The process could take between six months and one year.
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