- FanDuel has decided to waive their 50-cent surcharge for sports bets in Illinois until June 19th.
- The sportsbook had been charging 50 cents per bet since July of 2025 following a state tax on sports betting.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – For a limited time, FanDuel is waiving their 50-cent fee for all bets for Illinois sports bettors.
The sportsbook announced on Thursday that they would be waiving the fee until June 19th, allowing bettors to avoid the 50-cent surcharge that would be placed on each bet.
The surcharge had been in place since July of 2025 when the state began taxing sportsbooks for each bet placed, which then turned into a tax on bettors.
FanDuel did not provide a reason for the temporary change, but it can be inferred that it has to do with the slower betting market in Illinois for the upcoming months, with the Bears, Bulls, Blackhawks, and University of Illinois athletics (for the most part) being out of commission.
The Cubs and White Sox will likely draw the majority of bets in the state for the time being, and FanDuel is likely angling to steal bettors from other sportsbooks by waiving their fee in order to see an increase in overall handle.
Other legal sports betting sites have made no indication of following in FanDuel’s footsteps.
The tax has been a point of contention for legal sports betting in Illinois, drawing lots of criticism and backlash since its implementation.
The Sports Betting Alliance, which represents DraftKings, FanDuel, Fanatics Sportsbook, bet365, and BetMGM has a page for bettors to share their testimony to legislators in opposition to the tax.
