The Sports Betting Alliance (SBA) Thursday warned Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson that sportsbooks will be forced to shut down in the city on Jan. 1 if the current budget presented to the City Council passes with his proposed 10.25% tax on revenue from wagers placed within city limits.
Johnson originally proposed the levy as part of his 2026 budget, which would take effect at the start of the year. City aldermen, however, rejected Johnson’s budget in the Finance Committee and retained the mayor’s proposal in crafting their own. The aldermanic budget also proposed to legalize video gaming terminals in Chicago as a means of trying to plug a $1.2 billion budget gap.
