There could be a surprise in store for some Illinois sports betting customers that are returning for football betting season.
Illinois added a per-bet tax as of July 1, and sports betting operators are taking different approaches to how they handle that additional cost. Some books have rolled out minimum wagers while others are charging bettors a fee.
Here are all the details to help make informed decisions for college football or NFL betting in Illinois.
List of Illinois sports betting fees, minimums
All 10 online Illinois sportsbooks have a policy concerning the new tax, whether it is an increased minimum bet or a per-bet fee just like the tax.
| Sportsbook | Illinois minimum | Service fee |
|---|---|---|
| bet365 | – | $0.25 on bets under $10 |
| BetMGM | $2.50 | – |
| BetRivers | $5 | – |
| Caesars | – | $0.25 |
| Circa | $10 | – |
| DraftKings | – | $0.25/$0.50 with exceptions |
| Fanatics | – | $0.25 |
| FanDuel | – | $0.50 |
| Hard Rock Bet | $2 | – |
| theScore Bet | $1 | – |
DraftKings is the only operator so far that has multiple exceptions. The fee will not apply to parlays above $10, straight bets above $50, or bets placed with bonus bets.
DraftKings will also not charge any of its Silver tier or higher bettors the fee. The fee will increase to 50 cents once DraftKings accepts more than 20 million bets in a fiscal year, which is when the tax from the state increases.
Why are operators passing the buck cents?
Multiple states have increased their sports betting taxes after the market launched. Until Illinois this year, operators have mostly absorbed the costs and changed their marketing in the state to account for those new costs.
For Illinois, however, this is the second sports betting tax increase in as many years. In 2024, Gov. JB Pritzker signed the state budget with a new scaled tax rate with all of those levels higher than the 15% the market launched with in March 2020:
- 20% on the first $30 million in sports betting revenue
- 25% on revenue between $30-$50 million
- 30% on revenue between $50 million and $100 million
- 35% on revenue between $100 million and $200 million
- 40% on revenue above $200 million
