People in Illinois lost at least $7.7 billion on gambling in 2025, and the state has now officially recognized gambling addiction as a public health issue.
On July 24, Gov. JB Pritzker signed Senate Bill 2749, incorporating “gambling disorder” throughout the state’s Substance Use Disorder Act. The change expands and clarifies how Illinois can respond to gambling addiction through treatment and prevention.
The legislation could help raise awareness of widespread gambling addiction, though Illinois has also helped enable that problem by legalizing and expanding gambling.
The new law has limitations. It doesn’t boost treatment or prevention funding or offer specifics on implementation, according to a report from Capitol News Illinois, limiting its immediate policy impact.
The measure itself does not establish Medicaid reimbursement for gambling-disorder treatment, which remains a major barrier for lower-income residents, according to people familiar with the legislation who spoke with Capitol News Illinois. Additional legislation would be needed to address that gap and make the policy more effective.
Raising Awareness
The bill, which received broad bipartisan support, took effect immediately after Pritzker’s signature. Its sponsor, Sen. Julie Morrison, a Democrat, said it was about “recognizing the fact this is also another addiction disorder, and those people also need the help.”
The policy mechanism: It updates the state’s existing substance abuse law to codify gambling addiction under the same framework as alcohol and drug use disorders.
Before the bill, people with gambling addiction in Illinois could only receive state-funded inpatient services if they also had a substance use disorder that required inpatient treatment. The law now allows the state to offer treatment for gambling addiction on its own, changing who can qualify for services.
The Illinois Department of Human Services’ behavioral health division may be better able to offer programs and support to affected families, including at schools.
Shortcomings
Capitol News Illinois reported a statement from the Pritzker administration praising the measure while defending its broader approach to gambling regulation.
“The Pritzker administration has made clear that gambling must be responsibly regulated, with strong consumer protections and meaningful investments in treatment and prevention. SB 2749 builds on that commitment by strengthening Illinois’ approach to gambling disorder prevention, education and treatment.”
As mentioned, the new law lacks guaranteed funding or a specific timeline for implementation.
Capitol News Illinois found that the state has spent an average of only about $1.5 million annually since 2020 directly treating people with gambling addiction. Last year, Illinois devoted less than six cents to treatment and prevention for every $100 collected in gambling taxes.
America’s Largest VGT Market
Illinois is by far the largest market for gambling machines in bars, restaurants, truck stops, and other establishments. The state’s nearly 50,000 video gaming terminals, or VGTs, generated $3.19 billion in total revenue in 2025, according to the American Gaming Association.
In Chicago, the City Council approved an ordinance in December 2025 to authorize VGTs in eligible locations within Illinois’ largest city, after initially opting out of the state’s 2009 VGT law. There are also plans to put machines at Chicago’s airport.
The state also has 17 casinos. Those properties had nearly 14,000 gambling machines last year.
Illinois’ 17 commercial casinos generated $3.42 billion from slots, table games, and sports betting in 2025, according to the American Gaming Association.
Illinois also has online sports betting apps and lottery gambling.
Growing Concerns
Illinois’ bill is part of a growing national trend to raise awareness of gambling addiction. States such as New York, Ohio, Maryland, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania provide similar legal recognition.
In GamblingHarm.org’s view, it’s the least states could do as online gambling expands. Some public-health advocates argue that existing state regulatory frameworks remain inadequate to address the speed, accessibility, and product design of online gambling. The SAFE Bet Act, a federal proposal, would create minimum regulatory standards for online sports betting.
A 2026 national survey by the Siena Research Institute and St. Bonaventure University found that 60% of online sports bettors had chased a bet—placing a larger wager in hopes of recovering a previous loss. That was up from 52% in 2025.
Other advocates argue that you can’t regulate a fundamentally predatory gambling industry, and that the best public health strategy is for states not to sanction it.
Legalizing gambling has long been controversial, and public uneasiness appears to have grown significantly following the state-by-state legalization of online sports betting, made possible by a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling. Illinois legalized online sports betting in 2019.
By formally categorizing gambling disorder alongside other addictions, Illinois has at least acknowledged the consequences of a gambling market that the state continues to expand.
