DraftKings will shut down its retail sportsbook at Wrigley Field on May 31, leaving one fewer option for Illinois sports betting. The space at Addison and Sheffield will stay open as a restaurant, bar, and game-day venue, but the betting counter and kiosks are going away.
Why Now?
In a statement first published by the Chicago Tribune, DraftKings said it made the call "following a review of our retail presence in Illinois," adding that "the cost of operating in Illinois, including its high tax structure, makes it more difficult to justify continued investment in a standalone retail sportsbook."
Since DraftKings Illinois launched its in-person sportsbook at Wrigley, the state has moved to a graduated tax, with the largest operators paying up to 40% on adjusted gross receipts. Illinois then added a per-wager tax on online and mobile bets in 2025: $0.25 on each operator’s first 20 million annual wagers, then $0.50 per wager after that.
Chicago added another layer in 2026 with a 10.25% city tax on adjusted gross sports betting receipts from wagers placed within city limits.
What The Closure Means for Bettors
For bettors who used the Wrigley counter or kiosks, the change is simple: after May 31, DraftKings will no longer take in-person bets at the ballpark location. Customers will need to use the DraftKings app (or any other legal Illinois betting app) for mobile wagering instead.
The restaurant and bar will remain open, so the venue is not shutting down entirely. It is shifting away from retail betting and back toward food, drinks, and game-day traffic.
Anyone with open retail tickets should check DraftKings’ guidance or contact customer support before the May 31 cutoff.
What This Means for The Illinois Market
DraftKings’ exit from Wrigley retail betting is a notable signal for the Illinois gambling market. This was not a small satellite counter in a low-traffic spot. It was a sportsbook attached to one of the most visited ballparks in the country. Last season, Wrigley Field saw the sixth-highest attendance across the entire MLB.
That makes the decision harder to dismiss as a one-off. Illinois’ tax burden has become one of the industry’s biggest talking points, and operators inside Chicago now have several additional cost layers to pay attention to when analyzing their business.
Two pieces of legislation for bettors to pay attention to are HB 4171 and HB 5143. The former would block local or city governments (like Chicago) from applying additional tax on sportsbook operators, while 5143 would get rid of the per-bet surcharge. Despite both of these taxes being relatively new, it's telling that lawmakers in the state are already attempting to block or repeal them.
