The Illinois Gaming Board has unanimously voted to propose new self-exclusion rules for gamblers, reducing the minimum exclusion period from five years to as little as six months. Alongside this change, individuals will be able to choose exclusion terms of six months, one year, three years, five years, or indefinitely.
The shorter exclusion periods would renew automatically, but individuals can opt out at any time. However, those seeking to be removed from a five-year or indefinite ban must provide documentation from a certified gambling addiction counselor.
Currently, sign-up is available only through in-person appointments at designated enrollment sites, mainly casinos. The proposed changes will allow for sign-up via notarized mail, an online portal, and referrals from treatment providers. Additionally, operators will be prohibited from marketing to individuals for at least 12 months after they come off the list, and the program will now include fantasy contests.
These proposals will undergo a review by the General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, a process that usually takes between six months to a year. About 16,000 people are currently on the self-exclusion list.
