DraftKings Exits Wrigley Field Book

DraftKings said on May 18 that it will stop taking in-person sports bets at its sportsbook at Wrigley Field on May 31, ending retail wagering at the Chicago Cubs-adjacent venue less than three years after it opened. The Boston-based company said the site next to the ballpark will remain open as a restaurant. DraftKings tied the decision to Illinois taxes on sports wagering, saying the state's cost structure made it harder to support a standalone retail book. The venue opened to the public in June 2023 as a bar and restaurant, with retail betting added later after state approval. ### When does betting stop at the Wrigley Field sportsbook? May 31 is the last day for in-person sports betting at the DraftKings Sportsbook at Wrigley Field, according to DraftKings' statement reported by the Chicago Sun-Times. The company said it is "taking a more focused approach" to where it invests in Illinois and will continue serving customers through its mobile sportsbook in the state. The Wrigleyville venue is adjacent to the Cubs' ballpark at Addison Street and Sheffield Avenue. DraftKings and Levy opened the 17,000-square-foot space on June 27, 2023, first as a bar and restaurant, with plans at the time to add retail wagering after licensure and regulatory approval from the Illinois Gaming Board. ### What reason did DraftKings give for shutting the retail book? (chicago.suntimes.com) DraftKings said Illinois' "high tax structure" was behind the decision to end live betting at Wrigley Field. In the company's statement, it said the cost of operating in Illinois made it more difficult to justify continued investment in a standalone retail sportsbook. (draftkings.com) Illinois law changed the economics for operators in stages. The Sports Wagering Act imposed a 15% tax on adjusted gross sports wagering receipts through June 30, 2024, and then moved to a graduated tax on online sports wagering revenue. In 2025, the state added a separate per-wager tax on online bets of 25 cents for the first 20 million annual wagers and 50 cents for each wager above that threshold. (chicago.suntimes.com) ### What happens to the Wrigley Field space itself? The Wrigley Field location will remain open as a restaurant, DraftKings said. The company did not say in the materials reviewed whether the site will keep the DraftKings branding after retail betting ends. Levy was named in 2023 as the food-and-beverage operator for the facility, which DraftKings and the Cubs had pitched as a year-round sports and entertainment destination. (ilga.gov) At opening, the companies described seating across bars, booths and group spaces designed for game-day crowds and non-game-day events. ### How unusual was this venue in Illinois? (chicago.suntimes.com) The Chicago Sun-Times reported the Wrigley Field site was the only retail sportsbook in Illinois connected to a sports venue. That made it distinct from most other in-person betting locations in the state, which are attached to casinos or other gaming properties. DraftKings' own retail sportsbook page still listed the Wrigley Field book among its Illinois in-person betting locations when reviewed on May 19, alongside Casino Queen. (draftkings.com) That suggests the company's location pages may not yet reflect the May 18 closure announcement. ### What does this mean for DraftKings customers in Illinois? DraftKings said it remains committed to its mobile sportsbook customers in Illinois. (chicago.suntimes.com) The company continues to offer online and mobile betting in the state, and its public state-availability pages still direct Illinois users to those products. Illinois regulators continue to oversee sports wagering through the Illinois Gaming Board, which says the state had 15 active, approved sportsbooks and more than $2.2 billion in gaming-related tax revenue across regulated gambling in calendar 2025. (sportsbook.draftkings.com) May 31 is the next concrete date in the changeover. After that, DraftKings said the Wrigley Field site will continue as a restaurant, while Illinois bettors can still place wagers through the company's mobile sportsbook. (chicago.suntimes.com) (igb.illinois.gov)