Illinois Governor JB Pritzker Reports $1.4M in Gambling Winnings Last Year

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker made over $10 million last year, with $1.4 million coming from gambling, according to tax returns released by his campaign this week.

His campaign indicated he won the money playing at casinos in Las Vegas, but did not give any further details. In comments to ABC7 Chicago, a spokesperson said, “The Governor had winnings and losses from a casino during the year and those amounts are reported on his tax return.”

The tax filing shows that he profited precisely $1,425,000 from gambling in 2024.

Pritzker’s administration has overseen a massive gambling expansion that added six new casinos, expanded video gaming, and ushered in the sports betting industry. He has also stated that he sees legalizing online casinos in Illinois as “worthy of consideration.”

Pritzker Taxes Gambling Companies, While Dodging Individual Increases

Capital gains were the largest source of income for the billionaire governor, accounting for $4.2 million of the total $10,655,910. Pritzker received a $4.75 million standard deduction, meaning he paid taxes on $5.87 million in income.

The governor has benefited from his stance against raising individual and corporate taxes. The trust benefiting the Pritzkers paid $4.5 million in state taxes and $30.2 million in federal taxes last year, according to his campaign. This figure would have been far higher had he placed a hike in this year’s budget.

After the governor said he would veto a budget with an increase in tax on individuals, corporations, or the sales tax, lawmakers targeted industries like sports betting to raise funds.

Pritzker signed off on a budget that included a per-bet tax for sports betting, with companies charged either $0.25 or $0.50 on every bet accepted, depending on volume.

This betting surcharge follows a tax increase last year. The governor signed off on a bill that raised the rate from 15% to a sliding scale from 20% to 40%.

The unprecedented move to tax both bets and revenue has been met with strong opposition from betting companies. In response, operators have either passed the fee onto bettors or raised the minimum stake.

Only Trump Tops Pritzker Among Political Billionaires

The summaries offer a glimpse into the billionaire governor’s finances, although the campaign did not disclose the total income of trusts benefiting his family. Pritzker does not take a salary from the state and has placed his assets in a “blind” trust since becoming governor.

The governor is an heir to the Hyatt Hotel fortune and is one of the wealthiest politicians in American history. He’s currently worth $3.7 billion, making him the 979^th richest person in the world, according to Forbes. President Donald Trump is the only current elected official worth more, with a net worth estimated at $5.1 billion, ranking him 700^th in the world.

Pritzker has self-funded two campaigns for governor with more than $300 million and is expected to shell out millions more for his 2026 campaign, while rumors swirl that he will seek the presidency in 2028.

Kalshi currently gives the Democrat governor a 93% chance of winning reelection next year.