Gov. JB Pritzker (D-IL) reported winning more than $1.4 million gambling in Las Vegas, according to his most recent tax filings.
Pritzker, running for a third term as governor and seen by many as a serious contender for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028, and his wife reported $10.7 million worth of income in 2024. The income does not include Pritzker’s blind trusts, which collectively paid over $34.7 million in taxes last year. The Illinois governor has a net worth of nearly $4 billion, owing to his family’s involvement in Hyatt Hotels.
“I went on vacation with my wife, with some friends,” Pritzker told reporters on Thursday. “I was incredibly lucky. You have to be to end up ahead, frankly, going to a casino anywhere — it was in Las Vegas — and I like to play cards.”
Since the press took notice of the gambling revenue on his tax return, a spokesperson for Pritzker has revealed that he won the cash playing blackjack and stated that the winnings will be donated to charity. 2024 represented the governor’s highest income year since 2021 and saw him and his wife donate $3.3 million to charity.
While it is unclear which charity Pritzker will donate his gambling winnings to, the governor has long been a major financial supporter of liberal activist organizations through the Pritzker Family Foundation. The foundation gives away tens of millions of dollars every year, both to apolitical causes and to explicitly political ventures, such as the Center for American Progress or the Niskanen Center.
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Gambling has expanded in Illinois during Pritzker’s tenure. The governor signed legislation in 2019 that legalized sports betting, granted approval for six new casinos, and allowed more slot machines in bars and restaurants. Pritzker has also historically held financial stakes in casinos.
The governor’s reported cash revenue has declined since he took office.
