Jim Dey | Expanding gambling in Illinois has generated a big return
Illinois gambling expansion has produced record revenues and tax dollars.Summary
Illinoisans are losing hundreds of millions of dollars annually to gambling, but the state's latest report on gambling-related revenues shows that casinos, video gaming, and sports wagering are generating record returns. Since casino gambling was legalized in 1990, the state has expanded to 17 authorized land-based casinos, including a future 4,000-slot Chicago casino, while video gambling has grown to nearly 50,000 machines at 9,000 locations since 2012, and sports wagering, legalized in 2020, has seen over 1.7 billion wagers totaling $67.4 billion. In fiscal year 2026, casino revenues reached $2.052 billion, up 13 percent from the previous year, generating $557 million in state and local taxes. Video gambling revenues totaled $3.310 billion, with $1.158 billion paid in taxes, and sports wagering tax revenue jumped 1,000 percent from FY 2021 to $619.8 million. The expansion stems from elected officials' desire to collect tax revenue from gamblers, and the report notes that further growth is expected as new casinos and video gambling in Chicago take effect.
(Source：News-gazette)