Gov. Pritzker reports $1.4 million in Las Vegas gambling winnings

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) reported $1.4 million in gambling winnings from a trip to Las Vegas last year, according to tax summaries released Thursday by his campaign.

Pritzker, a billionaire who reported total taxable income of $10.7 million for 2024, said at a news conference Thursday that he won the money when he was on vacation with his wife and some friends, adding that he was “incredibly lucky.”

“You have to be [lucky] to end up ahead, frankly, going to a casino anywhere — it was in Las Vegas — and I like to play cards,” said Pritzker, who is often touted as a potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate, a prospect he has not ruled out. Pritzker’s family owns the Hyatt chain of hotels.

Pritzker’s campaign said the governor will donate his winnings to charity but declined to say where the funds will be donated. When first elected governor in 2018, Pritzker committed to forgoing his salary.

He went on to be reelected in 2022 with nearly 55% of the vote and is seeking a third term in 2026.

Pritzker has increasingly found himself on the national stage, taking a leading role in the Democratic Party’s challenges to President Donald Trump’s agenda. He has been deeply critical of Trump’s use of National Guard troops domestically and sued Trump over his deployment of Illinois and Texas National Guard troops to the Chicago area, calling their presence in Illinois an “invasion.”

Earlier this week, Pritzker was listed as part of a group of Democratic governors who created a state health alliance to counter the Trump administration’s health recommendations.