Illinois legislator proposes scrapping new sports betting tax
House Bill 5143 would remove the additional fee introduced on each online bet.
US.- Representative Daniel Didech has introduced a bill that aims at eliminate a fee introduced on sports bets in Illinois last year. House Bill 5143 proposes amending the Sports Wagering Act to remove a charge of $0.25 on each of the first 20,000 online bets that sportsbooks take each year and $0.50 per bet thereafter.
The Illinois Gaming Board reported a 15 per cent drop in sports bets for September last year after governor Jay Robert Pritzker approved the new fee. Maura Possley, a spokesperson for the Sports Betting Alliance of Illinois, said that there were five million fewer bets placed compared to September 2024.
Didech’s bill would preserve the progressive gross receipts tax ranging from 20 to 40 per cent that was introduced in 2024.
Illinois lawmaker reintroduces bill to legalise online casinos
Meanwhile, Representative Edgar Gonzalez Jr. is making another attempt to regulate online casino gaming in the state. House Bill 4797 proposes an Internet Gaming Act to legalise online poker, slots, table games and live dealer games immediately on being signed into law. The bill has been referred to the Illinois General Assembly.
Under the proposed framework, the Illinois Gaming Control Board would regulate the sector. Operators would pay $250,000 for an initial licence, with renewals at $100,000, plus $100,000 for management service providers and $75,000 for suppliers. They would be able to offer up to three skins.
Online casinos would be taxed at 25 per cent of adjusted gross revenue, and all tax revenue would be deposited into the State Gaming Fund.
