FanDuel announces very unpopular change to sports betting in Illinois

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Steve DelVecchio | Last updated Jun 10, 2025 10:32 AM ET

FanDuel might be one of the most popular sports betting platforms in the world, but many customers are unhappy with the change that was announced on Tuesday.

Flutter Entertainment, which owns FanDuel, has announced that all sports bets placed through FanDuel in Illinois will have a 50-cent transaction fee beginning on Sept. 1, 2025. The surcharge has been introduced in response to a tax increase on sportsbooks in the state.

Flutter CEO Peter Jackson was critical of the betting tax rate increase, which he says led to some of the cost having to be transferred to customers.

Statement from Flutter (FanDuel) CEO Peter Jackson on the company's decision to implement a 50-cent transaction fee to bets placed in Illinois: pic.twitter.com/ByIcZgsNVd
— David Payne Purdum (@DavidPurdum) June 10, 2025

Jackson said the surcharge would immediately be removed if the state reversed its tax hike on sports betting.

DraftKings, which dominates the online sports betting market along with FanDuel, announced plans last year to impose a transaction fee on bets placed in high-tax states. The company ended up walking back the plans and never put the surcharge into effect. It is unclear if DraftKings will follow suit now that FanDuel has made the change.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: