EndGame: No More Bets At Wrigley

The U.S. sports betting world moves quickly and unpredictably in 2026. In order to properly take stock of it all, we offer InGame’s “EndGame,” an end-of-week compilation of the top storylines, some overlooked items, and all the other news bits from this past week that we found interesting.

Betting ballgame ends at Wrigley

What could be more sensible than putting a retail sportsbook at a sports stadium or arena where you have a captive audience of fans already proven to be interested in teams, games, and scores?

Well, lots of other things make more sense, as it turns out.

DraftKings is about to become the latest to shutter a betting operation at a sports venue, as it announced it will stop taking wagers May 31 at its Wrigley Field location in Chicago. It’s not the first such turnabout by a major sportsbook operator, as similar sportsbooks have had short lives at the homes of the Washington Nationals, Cleveland Guardians, and Phoenix Suns, among others.

It seems there’s just not enough regular foot traffic at such venues to support the kind of retail sportsbook operations that are justified at brick-and-mortar casinos, and fans attending games also have phones in their pockets on which it is easy in most legal sports betting states to place a wager.

DraftKings also has its own particular issues with Illinois and Chicago and their recent tax hikes, according to the Chicago Tribune’s report on the closure. “While we are proud of what we have built alongside the Chicago Cubs, we are taking a more focused approach to where we invest in the state,” DraftKings said. “The cost of operating in Illinois, including its high tax structure, makes it more difficult to justify continued investment in a standalone retail sportsbook.”

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DraftKings closing its 2-year-old retail sportsbook at Wrigley Field https://t.co/J0sgcMmTN2
— Chicago Tribune (@chicagotribune) May 18, 2026

NC latest to mull betting tax hike

Illinois has hardly been alone in raising tax rates for sportsbook operators from what it originally set into law, with New Jersey, Maryland, Louisiana, and Ohio having done something similar — though to a lesser extent — in recent years.

North Carolina hasn’t approved any such boost yet, but an increase in its 18% tax rate is apparently under consideration by state lawmakers. Last year the state’s Senate approved a proposal to double the tax to 36%, but the House did not agree.

WRAL in Raleigh reported that discussions of the state’s budget for the next fiscal year have included new proposals to increase taxes on North Carolina’s eight legal sports betting operators. The report noted that no decisions have been made and no legislative leaders have yet publicly supported any hike in sportsbook taxes, but it is one of a variety of ways the state may seek to raise more revenue. It is a serious enough concern that the Sports Betting Alliance, made up of major national operators, has already begun a marketing campaign hoping to head off any increase, WRAL reported.

Polymarket gives new meaning to private trading

Polymarket is branching out its available prediction markets by allowing trading on private company performance. The company made the announcement this week, giving a way to trade on milestones at companies that have yet to go public.

Polymarket said Nasdaq Private Market will be the partner serving as the resolution date provider, ensuring verified data is used to settle markets such as valuation thresholds, when a company goes public, and activity in secondary markets.

“Prediction markets are one of the most powerful tools we have for democratizing access to financial information and opportunity,” said Shayne Coplan, Polymarket founder and CEO. “For the first time, anyone can engage with the outcomes driving value at the world’s most consequential private companies.”

Bettors looking forward to World Cup

The love for soccer in the U.S. trails far behind the level of passion shown in Europe, South America, and elsewhere, but with the World Cup coming to North America this summer, there will actually be a high level of betting interest in the sport.

That’s the conclusion of marketing research firm Optimove, based on a survey in early 2026 of 335 U.S. bettors. Its “2026 US World Cup Betting Intentions Report” found that Americans bettors are looking forward to the tournament “with high intent, real confidence, and an openness to personalized, in-the-moment engagement.”

Putting numbers to it, nearly three out of four surveyed plan to place at least one World Cup wager, “and most are not casual participants.” The report stated that 80% of those surveyed had bet on a previous World Cup, and 65% said betting will “significantly” enhance their tournament enjoyment.

Odds and ends

Matt Schuler, the longtime executive director of the Ohio Casino Control Commission, is retiring at month’s end after 15 years with the agency. The announcement came at the commission’s monthly meeting this week, with General Counsel Andromeda Morrison named as interim executive director. Schuler oversaw the introduction of sports betting to Ohio in recent years, with the agency noted for being among the most aggressive in policing excessive marketing and other missteps it identified by operators.
Brendan Sorsby, the Texas Tech quarterback who has admittedly sought treatment for gambling addiction, has gone to court seeking reinstatement by the NCAA for the 2026 football season. His filing in district court in Lubbock County, Texas accuses the NCAA of being “hypocritical” for barring him due to his past sports betting while it profits from “the very gambling ecosystem it polices.”
PrizePicks founder Adam Wexler is picking one big collegiate sports operation to support: the basketball program of his alma mater, the University of Georgia. The former daily fantasy sports CEO is donating $10 million to support the athletic program, the largest such contribution in Georgia’s history, the school announced.