Illinois Gaming Board chairman to step down
Charles Schmadeke will leave the position following the end of his term.
US.- The Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) has announced that chairman Charles Schmadeke is set to step down from following the end of his current term on July 1. He has been in the position two terms for a total of nearly six years.
IGB Board Administrator, Marcus D Fruchter, said: “On behalf of myself, the board and IGB staff, I acknowledge and thank chairman Schmadeke for his nearly six years of dedicated and ethical service as Gaming Board chair and his continued commitment, contributions and dedication to our State.
“His tenure overlapped with considerable changes to the Illinois gaming industry and the IGB itself – including gaming expansion, agency modernization and the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and its aftermath.”
Schmadeke added: “After two terms, it is time for me to call it a day, so in essence this is my valedictory for the Gaming Board. The duty of the Gaming Board is to protect the integrity of gaming in Illinois and for that it has been my goal in particular but our goal in general is that gaming should benefit all of Illinois and we have always consciously attempted to assure that all Illinoisans participate in the benefits of gaming.”
In April, Illinois gaming adjusted gross receipts (AGR) totalled $162.6m, up 18.7 per cent from April 2024’s $136.9m. Electronic gaming devices generated $122m, up 17.3 per cent year-over-year, and table games produced $40.5m, an increase of 22.8 per cent.
Illinois passes state budget with new sports betting fees
Illinois lawmakers recently passed the state’s budget proposal, including new fees for the taxation of sports wagering. Governor Jay Robert Pritzker has indicated that he will sign the proposed fiscal plan into law.
Sportsbooks in Illinois will be charged $0.25 for each of the first 20,000 online bets they take annually. Beyond that threshold, the fee doubles to $0.50 per bet. The new fee is expected to bring in $36m annually to the state.
