Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is proposing a 10.25% tax on adjusted gross sports betting revenue generated in the city for his 2026 budget, which would bring top operators in Illinois to a combined rate above 50% when including the maximum state levy.
Johnson’s $16.6 billion budget, which would take effect Jan. 1 if passed as is, has multiple ways of closing a $1.15 billion deficit the city faces. The sports betting tax proposal, which projects to generate $26 million in revenue, was one not recommended by the city’s budget task force in its interim report released in late August when it came to gaming in the city.
