As football season is fully underway, a new Chicago tax proposed by Mayor Brandon Johnson is doubling down on a bad idea for sports fans. The mayor’s budget includes a city of Chicago tax on sports betting companies that would be delivered on top of a brand-new state tax – which added a 50-cent tax on each bet customers make. That state tax, which was fully implemented by the sportsbooks on September 1, is already making every bet placed in Illinois more expensive for customers. As an expert in responsible gaming, I have been advocating for legal sports betting laws that empower bettors with information about their spending and avoid impulsive betting before it begins. But these new taxes push the state in the opposite direction, pushing bettors to make more expensive bets or seek out cheaper, tax-free illegal betting options that don’t have any of the protections of Illinois’ legal market. Ultimately, these changes will add more pressure to push gamblers back towards the black market.