Circa Sports raising minimum wager requirement to $10 in Illinois

Illinois lawmakers passed House Bill 1928 which is set to introduce a $0.25 per wager tax for the first 20 million wagers accepted by a sportsbook, increasing to $0.50 for all bets thereafter.

Circa Sports CEO Derek Stevens has released a statement explaining the operator will begin imposing a $10 minimum bet requirement for Illinois users after lawmakers chose to pass House Bill 1928, set to introduce a $0.25 per wager tax for the first 20 million wagers accepted by a sportsbook, increasing to $0.50 for all bets thereafter.

“After thoughtful consideration, we believe the best course of action for a low-hold, high-volume sportsbook such as Circa Sports is to raise the minimum wager in Illinois. We are reluctant to compromise our best-in-class betting splits or charge our customers a per-bet fee,” Stevens said. 

“Beginning Monday, September 1, a $10 minimum wager will take effect, protecting the vast majority of bettors in Illinois. No one should have to pay a fee to make a wager.”

On August 14, ESPN Bet updated its Illinois House Rules to include a $1 minimum bet requirement for all users within the state. 

The decision was confirmed by Penn Entertainment, having chosen a similar path as BetMGM and Hard Rock Bet which implemented minimum bet requirements of $2.50 and $2, respectively, in July 2025.

Good to know: The Missouri Gaming Commission chose to award both DraftKings and Circa Sports direct sports betting licenses on August 15, granting each operator the ability to offer sports wagering services within the state without a casino or professional sports team partner

Fellow action was also taken by operators such as DraftKings, FanDuel and Fanatics Betting and Gaming, which all announced a per wager transaction fee in response to the state budget being passed.

DraftKings and FanDuel will impose a $0.50 per wager transaction fee due to the likelihood of each operator surpassing the 20m bet threshold, while Fanatics Betting and Gaming will enforce a $0.25 transaction fee for Illinois customers.

Kirk Geller

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