Weaver Targets Illinois Levy on Sports Wagering, Fantasy Contests

State Representative Travis Weaver, a Republican from Peoria, introduced House Bill 5814 on Monday to abolish an Illinois tax on sports betting and fantasy competitions. The bill seeks to repeal the tax that Governor J.B. Pritzker enacted in June as part of a larger state revenue plan. Weaver's Argument Weaver contends that the tax could be challenged in court, stating that no other state has implemented a similar levy and questioning its legal foundation.

This bill is part of a broader effort to repeal multiple taxes imposed by the state. The sports-wagering and fantasy contest tax was among five new taxes added to the revenue package signed by Pritzker in June, alongside taxes on digital assets, prediction markets, and digital advertising, as well as a social media platform fee.

Weaver has separately submitted House Bill 5806 to abolish the social media platform fee and House Bill 5807 to repeal the digital advertising tax. Fellow Republican Representative John Cabello also introduced House Bill 5798 to dismantle the digital assets tax. Weaver's concerns go beyond the taxes themselves, questioning the financial burden of defending them.

He mentioned that lawsuits have already been filed against three of the revenue measures, suggesting that challenges to the taxes might necessitate funding for the attorney general's office to safeguard the state. Weaver argues that the state was expecting costs rather than generating revenue, and that the new taxes could impose a significant financial strain on taxpayers.

This perspective aligns with Weaver's stance on the revenue package and its potential legal repercussions. Currently, House Bill 5814 has been filed and is Weaver's latest attempt to repeal one of the taxes included in the revenue package Pritzker signed in June. The Center Square report highlighted the filing of HB 5814 but did not provide a specific hearing date, a vote schedule, or other details regarding the measure's progression.