Caesars implementing $0.25 per wager tax in Illinois on September 1

Caesars Sportsbook will begin implementing a $0.25 per wager tax for Illinois residents on September 1 following the passing of House Bill 1928, set to introduce a $0.25 tax for the first 20m bets accepted by an operator, increasing to $0.50 per wager for all bets thereafter.

“Following the decision made by the Illinois General Assembly on May 31, 2025, a $0.25 wager tax has been applied to each online sports wager placed in the State of Illinois. Effective September 1, 2025 this $0.25 wager tax will be applied to each online wager placed on Caesars Sportsbook,” Caesars said in a statement released to Illinois users. 

“The change will apply to all cash bet types and include profit boost wagers, however, bonus bets and bets placed with Reward Credits will be excluded. Any wager voided or cancelled will have the tax refunded with the bet stake. Any wager placed in-person (over the counter or on a retail betting kiosk) at Caesars Sportsbooks in Illinois at Grand Victoria Casino Elgin, Harrah’s Joliet or Harrah’s Metropolis, will not have a tax applied.” 

The decision follows similar actions taken by operators such as DraftKings, FanDuel and Fanatics, which all began imposing or will enforce a per wager tax in the Prairie State. 

DraftKings and FanDuel will implement a $0.50 per wager tax in Illinois due to the likelihood of each operator surpassing the 20 million bet mark, while Fanatics will enforce a $0.25 per wager tax beginning in the fall of 2025. 

Good to know: Gaming America provided an in-depth review of how operators have responded to the Illinois surcharge on August 22

Operators such as BetMGM, BetRivers, Circa Sports, ESPN Bet and Hard Rock Bet will all implement minimum bet requirements for Illinois users, ranging from $1 required by BetRivers to a $10 minimum imposed by Circa Sports to help offset potential losses. 

At the time of writing, Caesars Sportsbook has never approached the 20 million bet mark enforced by the Illinois General Assembly within House Bill 1928, perhaps leading to the operator’s decision of following in Fanatics’ footsteps with the $0.25 per wager tax. 

Kirk Geller

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