Illinois eager to get sports betting revenue

Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker is hopeful of getting revenues from the proposed sports-gambling industry to tide over the state’s fiscal worries and Illinois’ budget troubles. The state’s legislators must make sports betting legal in order to cash in from the industry.

Pritzker said during his budget address the state could earn about $200 million from legalised sports gambling licensing.

Pritzker’s proposal has not yet been put into bill form, but he wants to create 20 licenses for in-person or online sports betting, which would be sold for $10 million each, the Chicago Tribune reported. Operators would be charged a $5,000 annual renewal fee.

But in order to get that money, lawmakers must legalise expanded wagering.