DraftKings has officially announced that it will add a $0.50 surcharge to every bet made on its platform in Illinois. This comes after the state announced it would change books $0.25 or $0.50 per bet on September 1, 2025.
- Image
These new fees are being levied on sportsbooks as Illinois tries to close a $1 billion budget deficit. Books will be charged $0.25 for the first 20 million bets and $0.50 for each bet after. FanDuel was the first book to announce these new surcharges on its platform.
Terms and Conditions
GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, (800) 327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org (MA). Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY).
Please Gamble Responsibly. 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), or visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD).
21+ and present in most states. (18+ DC/KY/NH/WY). Void in ONT/OR/NH. Eligibility restrictions apply. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino & Resort (KS). Fees may apply in IL. 1 per new customer. Must register new account to receive reward Token. Must select Token BEFORE placing min. $5 bet to receive $200 in Bonus Bets if your bet wins. Min. -500 odds req. Token and Bonus Bets are single-use and non-withdrawable. Token expires 10/19/25. Bonus Bets expire in 7 days (168 hours). Stake removed from payout. Terms: sportsbook.draftkings.com/
What Did DraftKings Say About Surcharge?
In a public statement released on Thursday, DraftKings said it was open to collaborative policymaking but disappointed by the state's decision to "triple" tax rates on sportsbooks in two years.
 | "We are disappointed that Illinois policymakers have chosen to more than triple our tax rate over the past two years, and we are very concerned about what this will do to the legal, regulated industry." -DraftKings Press Release, June 12, 2025 |
In 2024, Illinois raised the tax rate from 15% to 40%, and now, with this new "tax" the effective tax rate on books has jumped up to 60%.
In that same release, DraftKings took a shot at what I can only assume are prediction markets like Kalshi, saying: "Illinois continues to fuel the rapidly growing illegal industry, which pays no taxes or fees and provides none of the consumer protections that regulated operators offer."
Illinois has served Kalshi a cease-and-desist letter, doing so in April. Kalshi maintains that its activities are legal and that, as a CFTC-regulated entity, it is above state laws. Kalshi's arguments are being debated in courtrooms across the country.
Related Illinois News
Previous Attempt At Increasing Taxes
This is not the first time DraftKings has brought up a per-bet surcharge in Illinois. Last year, the company was poised to launch a surcharge on all high-tax states, such as Illinois.
Documents from a press release at the time showed that Illinois customers would have to pay a $0.32 surcharge per bet.
Significant backlash from customers and seeing competitors like FanDuel forced DraftKings to abandon their plan.
More Books To Join?
With FanDuel and now DraftKings announcing a new surcharge in the Land of Lincoln, it's expected that other books will follow suit. BetMGM, Caesars, bet365, and Fanatics have yet to announce plans on surcharges.
These books don't see the same volume of traffic as FanDuel or DraftKings, perhaps they can charge $0.25 instead of the $0.50 that the two larger books do.
Illinois' new fee is based on volume. The first 20 million bets are charged the lower rate, and every bet above 20 million sees a $0.50 fee. Which could be an advantage for the smaller books that can boast lower fees.
