720 ILCS 5/28-1.1 – Syndicated Gambling
This law makes it illegal to run or profit from big gambling operations like bookmaking or policy games.
This law stops people from making money by running professional gambling businesses. It explains what counts as syndicated gambling and what activities are legal exceptions.
(a) Declaration of Purpose. The law says that organized gambling is often linked to crime. The goal is to stop people from running gambling businesses for profit in Illinois, and the rule should be used in a way that helps reach that goal.
(b) A person commits syndicated gambling if they run a “policy game” or do business as a bookmaker (someone who takes bets).
(c) A person “runs a policy game” when they knowingly use a place or property to take or receive the following from someone other than the player who made the bet:
- Money connected to another person’s bets or plays.
- Written records of bets or plays from someone other than the bettor or player.
(d) A person is “bookmaking” when they knowingly take more than five bets on contests or events (like sports or races) and the total amount of money involved is over $2,000. It doesn’t matter how the bets are recorded.
(e) The following activities are not considered syndicated gambling:
- Insurance or other agreements that pay when accidents or events happen.
- Prizes or rewards for people or animal owners who take part in real contests of skill, speed, or strength.
- Betting at racetracks or other pari-mutuel sites allowed by state law.
- Making gambling devices to ship out of Illinois when allowed by federal law.
- Raffles and poker runs done legally under state rules.
- Gambling on licensed riverboats, in casinos, or other approved gaming sites.
- Playing video gaming machines legally at licensed places such as bars, truck stops, veteran halls, or fraternal organizations.
- Savings promotion raffles legally approved under banking or credit union laws.
(f) Sentence: Anyone guilty of syndicated gambling commits a Class 3 felony.
Contact us online or call (314) 900-HELP to talk with a Southern Illinois criminal defense lawyer.
