NEED TO KNOW
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The campaign of Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker released a tax filing showing that he and his wife reported about $10.7 million in adjusted gross income
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The filing indicated that he received $1.4 million from playing blackjack at a Las Vegas casino
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Pritzker, who is running for a third term as governor, is a vocal critic of President Donald Trump’s efforts to deploy National Guard troops in the Chicago area
Billionaire Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker raked it in big in 2024, including more than $1 million while gambling in Las Vegas.
A new tax filing released by Pritzker’s campaign on Wednesday, Oct. 14, shows the Democratic governor and his wife, MK, reporting about $10.7 million in adjusted gross income, according to the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun-Times and NBC News.
The filing also indicated that $1.4 million reportedly came from the Hyatt Hotels Corp. heir winning blackjack at a Las Vegas casino.
“The Governor had winnings and losses from a casino during the year and those amounts are reported on his tax return,” said a Pritzker campaign spokesperson, the Tribune reported.
Pritzker also clarified his winnings at a press conference on Thursday, Oct. 16, NBC News reported.
“I went on vacation with my wife, with some friends,” he said. “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,”
His campaign said the governor will be donating his winnings to charity.
As the Sun-Times noted, Pritzker doesn’t take a salary as governor and his estimated worth is about $3.9 billion. The newspaper added that the Pritzkers’ income of $10.7 million last year is more than triple the $2.8 million the couple reported in 2023.
PEOPLE contacted Pritzker’s campaign on Thursday for comment.
Pritzker was first elected governor of Illinois in 2018 and won reelection four years later. In June, he formally announced that he was running for a third term. He has been a vocal critic of President Donald Trump’s efforts to deploy National Guard troops in the Chicago area in order to crack down on crime and protect federal immigration enforcement.
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On Oct. 9, a judge blocked the deployment of troops in the city for at least two weeks, the Associated Press reported.
“The court confirmed what we all know: There is no credible evidence of a rebellion in the state of Illinois. And no place for the National Guard in the streets of American cities like Chicago,” Pritzker said, according to the outlet.
The next day, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson “should be in jail for failing to protect Ice Officers!”
During an appearance on ABC News’ This Week on Oct. 12, Pritzker responded to Trump’s alleged threat, saying: “Come and get me.”
“They’re making things up to go after people,” the governor added. “I’m going to stand up for the people of my state. And we’ve got to all stand together because that there is truly unconstitutional actions that are coming out of this administration, coming at the states and the people of the United States and all of us, Democrats and Republicans, need to speak out about it.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with a gambling problem, please contact the National Problem Gambling Helpline Network at 1-800-522-4700 or go to gamtalk.org.
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