Caesars Sportsbook Will Charge Illinois Users For Placing Bets
Caesars Sportsbook is the latest platform to introduce a betting surcharge in Illinois, responding to the state’s new tax.
Caesars contacted users to say it will charge $0.25 for placing bets from September 1. The fee corresponds to the tax introduced in Illinois’ budget at the end of May.
Sportsbooks will be charged $0.25 per bet on the first 20 million bets, and operators that accept more than 20 million will be charged $0.50 per bet.

Caesars is the latest operator to add a surcharge. Image Credit: Michelle Henderson/Unsplash
DraftKings and FanDuel have both introduced a $0.50 surcharge, while Fanatics has also set the fee at $0.25. Neither Fanatics nor Caesars would be expected to surpass the 20 million bet threshold.
Other sportsbooks have responded by introducing a minimum stake for users. Circa Sports set the minimum bet at $10 for Illinois bettors last week. Other platforms to raise the minimum bet include BetMGM ($2.50), BetRivers ($1), ESPN Bet ($1), and Hard Rock Bet ($2)
Esports and On-Site Bets Not Charged For Now
In the email to users, Caesars stated that the fee “will be shown during bet placement and indicated in the bet slip, and can also be found in your bet and transaction history.”
The fee will not apply to bets placed over-the-counter at Caesars Sportsbooks in Illinois. Caesars operates a sports betting kiosk at Grand Victoria Casino Elgin, Harrah’s Joliet, and Harrah’s Metropolis.
Esports betting is also not charged for now, as the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) has not yet authorized wagering. Chicago’s mayor declared an esports day last year, but that did not lead to a push to allow betting on events.
The IGB must explicitly approve esports betting before it can be legally allowed. If a sportsbook were to request permission to accept betting on esports events, then it would no doubt also be subject to the per-bet tax and Caesars surcharge.
None of the regular esports leagues are under the IGB’s sports wagering catalog of approved events, and thus, year-round esports betting is not possible.
Caesars Passes Fees To Users, But Not Wages To Workers
In other news involving Caesars this week, it was revealed that the casino operator is among the 100 lowest-wage companies in the S&P 500.
The Executive Excess 2025 report by the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) noted that Caesars CEO Thomas R. Reeg earned $18.4 million in 2024. In the same year, the median wage of a Caesars worker was $43,880. This shows the CEO earns 419 times the average worker.
The move in Illinois aims to further insulate Caesars from growing costs, with the fee passed on to its customers. The IGB has indicated, however, that betting surcharges may be subject to additional tax.
DraftKings and FanDuel said they may reconsider the surcharge if additional taxes are revealed. Other companies may also change policy depending on customer response.