Obviously, The Illinois Government Is Going To Ruin Sports Betting For Residents
The original tax money wasn't good enough for these greedy politicians.
LEGAL sports betting in Illinois is about to suck once its new tax bill goes into effect July 1. While most people were sleeping, the Illinois government passed a bill to tax sportsbooks 25 cents per bet on the first 20 million bets placed, then 50 cents per bet afterward. Of course, these cockroaches passed it in the middle of the night.
FanDuel had already announced it was pushing that tax onto its customers, charging 50 cents per bet, starting September 1. DraftKings, on the other hand, is trying to fight the good fight, so to speak. Per ESPN's David Purdum, "DraftKings anticipates taking action" against the Illinois government shortly. Whatever that means.
The Sports Betting Alliance, comprised of FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, and Fanatics sportsbooks, aka "made men" of legal sports betting, slammed the bill. They called it "discriminatory, punitive, and constitutionally suspect," according to Front Office Sports' Ryan Glasspiegel, an OutKick alum.
Ironically, I'm writing this while on a flight to Illinois, where I was hoping to place legal wagers on the 2025 U.S. Open and Game 3 of the NBA Finals. Luckily, I still can, but the LEGAL sports betting action in Illinois could dry up after the summer, and the sportsbook cartel knows it. Their business models rely on pulling in new gamblers with promotions that'll entice fewer people after this tax.
Most people who bet on sports aren't risking life-changing money. They cook up $5 parlays to win thousands or place a $10 bet, at most, on their favorite teams to spice the game up a little. I'm not "unit shaming," just telling you how it is. My girlfriend bets $2-3 on her golf outrights and $5 if she is "really feeling it." So, a 50-cent tax makes sports betting a no-go for most people.
Furthermore, the legal teams for FanDuel, BetMGM, and Fanatics should join forces with DraftKings because this bill will have unintended consequences that will hurt the sportsbooks' wallets. I emphasized "legal" twice, since this tax won't stop sports betting in Illinois, or any other state that passes a similar bill.
Related: DON'T BLAME SPORTS BETTING FOR THREATS TO LANCE McCULLERS, IT'S 100% ON THE SCUMBAG BETTOR
Americans were betting on sports long before the Supreme Court legalized it in 2018. And, because we are cowboys, we'll find ILLEGAL ways to bet on sports if need be (see: bookies, fantasy football leagues, March Madness pools, Super Bowl squares, etc.). We've been fighting taxes since the 1770s and politicians win elections by promising to cut taxes.
But, unfortunately, this was bound to happen. The government was always going to f*ck up sports betting. These greedy politicians, sportsbooks, corporations, and Native American tribes just couldn't help themselves. This type of legislation is an example of why organized crime exists. In fact, a future Chicagoland bookie willing to take a taxless bet is a lock.
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Follow me on X (or Twitter, whatever) @Geoffery-Clark, and check out my OutKick Bets Podcast for more betting content and random rants.