Illinois Legislature Passes On New Gambling Legislation – TheLines.com

Written By Dan Angell | Published at June 15, 2026

Barring a special session, there won’t be any new gambling legislation coming to Illinois in 2026.

The Land of Lincoln chose to pass on a proposal from Gov. JB Pritzker, as legislators didn’t believe his recommendations were necessary. Pritzker had proposed new legislation bringing Illinois horse racing and casino gambling under one umbrella, called the Department of Gaming Regulation and Enforcement.

Several potential problems emerged, however. Namely, the new board wouldn’t be subject to open meetings, which means less transparency for the public. Currently, both the Illinois Gaming Board and the Illinois Racing Board must have open meetings, which allows both citizens and media to track and question any decisions.

That was a bridge too far for Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch (D-Westchester). Welch said the legislation might happen someday, but Illinois Democrats wouldn’t rush it through just because Pritzker wanted it.

“Our caucus in particular likes to make sure we take our time and thoroughly vet issues,” Welch said. “We certainly felt like we didn’t have the time to do that with this particular issue, and so we slowed it down. Our members just felt like they needed a lot more information than what they had.”

The Illinois legislative session concluded for the year in June.

Why Is Pritzker Pushing New Gambling Legislation in Illinois?

The governor believes the current setup of regulations regarding gambling and horse racing no longer reflects Illinois’ reality. Illinois once had a robust set of horse tracks, but has since fallen to just two: Fairmount Park and Hawthorne Race Course.

Meanwhile, Illinois has 17 casinos (counting Fairmount Park, which doubles as a racino) and 13 legal sportsbooks. In practice, that gives the racing board too little to do and too much to the gaming board. Pritzker’s proposal would bring them both under one umbrella. He’s said that would increase the state’s efficiency and lower costs.

Pritzker also suggested bringing meetings behind closed doors would improve efficiency. This triggered resistance, as Illinois is facing another expansion of legal gambling. The state has begun approving video poker machines, adding another task to the Gaming Board’s responsibilities.

How Would Changing Meetings Affect Gambling in Illinois?

Under the Illinois Open Meetings Act, all meetings must be open to the public, unless an exemption is granted. They must have an agenda posted 48 hours before the meeting, and citizens have reasonable rights to speak. Proponents believe this increases transparency, while opponents believe it slows down decisions.

The act does allow for some meetings to take place behind closed doors. However, no binding decisions can be made at closed-door meetings without an exemption. That gives citizens the power to slow down or stop unpopular decisions.

State senator Bill Cunningham (D-Chicago) said ending that was a serious concern.

“While the state could benefit from the consolidation of administrative functions, there was concern among legislators about the lack of transparency that could result from eliminating the oversight that is currently provided by the appointed members of the gaming and racing boards,” Cunningham said.

What’s The Future Timeline?

Most likely, the legislation is dead for 2026. Both Welch and Senate president Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) have cautioned Pritzker that the votes aren’t there and won’t be there without educating the Democratic caucus.

Both leaders have significant power in their chambers. Illinois law requires a three-fifths vote to override the governor, meaning Welch and Harmon both have a veto-proof majority. As such, the legislation would take place on their timelines.

Pritzker could reintroduce this during the fall veto session. But he is running for a third term as governor in November. He is expected to win his rematch with Republican Darren Bailey, whom he beat by 12.5 points in 2022. With Pritzker running a campaign, he’ll likely shelve this idea until 2027.