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Read Full BioMore details have emerged about Illinois Governor JB Pritzker‘s $1.4 million gambling winnings, with the billionaire saying he was “incredibly lucky” to pocket the huge profit.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Pritzker was asked to explain the $1,425,000 that appeared on his tax returns under gambling.
The heir to the Hyatt hotel fortune appeared to brush off the question, smiling as he answered that he was “incredibly lucky.”
He stated, “Obviously, and I’ve explained this in a previous statement, I went on vacation with my wife and some friends. I was incredibly lucky, you have to be to end up ahead, frankly, going to a casino anywhere. It was in Las Vegas, and I like to play cards.”
He attempted to play down the huge winnings by focusing on his work for charity, adding, “I founded a charitable poker match here in Chicago called the Chicago Poker Challenge that has raised millions of dollars for the holocaust museum here.”
He somehow managed to twist the story into a promotion for civil rights connected to the holocaust museum, adding, “Particularly, to stand up for civil rights, that’s much of what the holocaust museum does, and so, anyway, that’s all I can say about it.”
Pritzker Encourages Casino Gambling in Illinois
The governor then returned to the topic at hand, commenting, “I had fun doing it, and I encourage people to come to the state of Illinois and gamble in our casinos here. We have some really lovely places.”
Under his governorship, Illinois has expanded gambling options, adding six new casinos. The latest addition, the Hollywood Casino Joilet, posted record figures in September following its switch from a riverboat to a whole casino complex.
When asked further questions about whether he had lost money gambling, he confirmed that the $1.4 million was net profit and happened over one weekend.
He did not reveal how much he had staked to win that amount. He added that “anyone who has played cards in a casino knows you often play for too long, but I was fortunate enough to have to leave before that happened.”
A spokesperson for Pritzker’s campaign for reelection next year said the governor would donate the winnings to charity.
Billionaire May Run for President in 2028
The revelations of Pritzker’s winnings threaten to derail his apparent ambition to run for President in 2028. During the press conference, the governor played down those aspirations, commenting he was focused on his current role and fighting against Stephen Miller and Donald Trump.
Only Trump has more wealth among the billionaires serving as politicians. Pritzker’s current worth of $3.7 billion makes him the 979th richest person in the world. Trump is ranked 700th with an estimated fortune of $5.1 billion.
Pritzker does not take a salary in his role as governor, but tax returns revealed he made over $10 million last year. In addition to the money won from gambling, $4.2 million came from capital gains. While serving as governor, he has also placed his assets in a “blind” trust.
The money made from his trust last year has not been revealed, but it paid $4.5 million in state taxes and $30.2 million in federal taxes, according to his campaign.
