New figures from the Illinois Gaming Board reveal a notable drop in sports betting activity since the state introduced a new gambling tax last year.
Initially, a $0.25 tax was implemented on the first 20 million wagers at each sportsbook last September, and a $0.50 tax on every wager beyond that threshold. Major sportsbook operators, including FanDuel and DraftKings, responded by passing a flat $0.50 fee on to customers, effectively increasing the cost of placing a wager.
25 News Now cited data published by the Illinois Gaming Board that shows that 6.4 million fewer wagers were placed in the state in October 2025 than in October 2024. September’s figures had already revealed roughly a 15% drop in bets from the previous year.
