New Illinois laws starting July 1: Cocktails-to-go, AI bullying and more
Fourteen new laws will go into effect in Illinois on July 1, 2026.
Watch CBS News
Fourteen new laws will go into effect in Illinois on July 1, 2026.
Prediction market Kalshi sued Illinois on Tuesday, seeking to block new taxes and license requirements set to take effect July 1.
As an alternative to legalizing video gambling terminals citywide, Bally's offered to open slot machine lounges at O'Hare and Midway, saying the move would replace the $6.8 million the city budgeted from VGTs.
The new Aurora Hollywood Casino opens its doors Wednesday night.
All 22 people charged in a massive criminal gambling operation based in Northwest Indiana have pleaded not guilty in their first court appearance Thursday.
Federal prosecutors said 22 people were arrested in FBI raids at Northwest Indiana restaurants and homes for an illegal gambling ring during "Operation Porterhouse Parlay" Wednesday.
The federal government is suing Illinois, Connecticut and Arizona over efforts to regulate prediction market operators such as Kalshi and Polymarket.
Rahm Emanuel is proposing a far-reaching measure to crack down on betting in predictive markets in Washington as part of an effort to call attention to what he sees as a culture of corruption gripping the nation's politics.
Wisconsin lawmakers are taking a shot at expanding sports betting in the state.
Former DePaul University basketball players are among 26 players and fixers charged in an NCAA men's basketball game rigging scheme.
An NBA Hall of Famer, a current star and former player are among dozens arrested in an FBI crackdown on illegal gambling that includes alleged members of organized crime families.
Masked thieves used sledgehammers to break into and steal cash from gaming machines at a bar and lounge in Dolton.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker reported a gambling windfall of $1.4 million on his federal tax return this week.
Several new Illinois laws and tax increases take effect on July 1, 2025, including new rules for single-use plastics, a tipped minimum wage increase, and taxes on sports bets, vaping and gas.
San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano, a former Pittsburgh Pirate, is permanently banned from the MLB for violating the league's gambling policy.
The American Gaming Association estimates $2.72 billion will be wagered during March Madness. That's nearly twice the amount of this year's Super Bowl.
The city could be just days away from having a casino, but even before it opens, it's getting mixed reviews.
Chicago could be just days away from having a casino, but even before it opens, it's getting mixed reviews. CBS 2's Charlie De Mar reported that critics aside, all the casino needs is an OK from the state.
Shauntelle Pridgeon was responsible for reviewing and approving daycare providers for children under DCFS' supervision.
Lottery officials said one state was still processing its sales data. The jackpot is the largest for any lottery, anywhere, ever.
The jackpot has eluded players since Aug. 3, the last time anyone matched all five winning numbers and the Powerball.
No one won Wednesday night's top prize of $1.2 billion, so the jackpot for Saturday night's drawing will be very close to the $1.586 billion world record for lotteries.
The board still has to approve their final licenses.
The owner of a video sweepstakes company has been indicted as part of a federal bribery case filed last year against former Illinois State Rep. Luis Arroyo, accusing the pair of bribing an Illinois state senator for his support on legislation beneficial to the video gambling industry.
Chicago can have a new casino. Gov. JB Pritzker Tuesday signed a new gaming tax bill into law that paves the way for the gambling center.
Conversations about how Caitlin Clark is treated on a basketball court can be polarizing as fans, players, coaches, pundits and even the U.S. Congress has an opinion about what should or shouldn't happen in regards to the WNBA All-Star.
The FBI is now offering a $50,000 reward to find a fugitive who is wanted for the 2021 murder of Illinois Army National Guardsman Chrys Carvajal.
The University of Chicago Law School is banning first-year students from using phones and laptops in the classroom as part of a broader strategy to curb AI usage.
Caleb Durbin hit a two-run homer to help the surging Boston Red Sox top the Chicago White Sox 2-1 for their sixth consecutive victory.
Iceboy! has extended its run at the Goodman Theatre. It stars Emmy Award winners Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally, the real-life married couple whose creative partnership has entertained audiences across television, film, and the stage.
A federal appeals court on Thursday upheld an Illinois ban on semiautomatic weapons, keeping in place a law passed largely in response to a deadly Independence Day parade shooting.
Illinois American Water and Aqua Illinois are both seeking rate increases that would raise monthly bills by as much as $28, while their parent companies seek regulatory approval to merge — a deal a consumer watchdog says would give one company control of nearly all regulated water customers in the state.
Francesca Hong has not backed away from calls to defund and abolish the police, raise taxes on the wealthy, and create a state-owned bank — positions now facing voters in a state Trump has carried twice.
The area's top federal prosecutor, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois Andrew Boutros, was called before a judge Thursday for violating a secrecy order.
Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner is suspending his campaign against GOP Sen. Susan Collins, after a woman accused him of sexually assaulting her five years ago.
Chicago remained the most bed bug-treated city in the country, according to Orkin's latest annual rankings covering a full year of residential and commercial treatment data.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul this week warned residents cleaning up from last month's storms to be on the lookout for scams.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Thursday signed several new consumer protections into law, including a ban on junk fees.
CBS News Chicago has learned that Illinois home insurance premiums are not only higher than the nation's average, but going up faster too.
As an alternative to legalizing video gambling terminals citywide, Bally's offered to open slot machine lounges at O'Hare and Midway, saying the move would replace the $6.8 million the city budgeted from VGTs.
In a major turnaround in the opioid crisis, overdose deaths are falling across Chicago and Cook County.
The north Chicago suburb of Glenview became the latest Illinois municipality this week to confirm mosquitoes testing positive for the West Nile virus this year.
Environmental and community groups are suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for failing to act on a petition challenging U.S. Steel Gary Works operating permit renewal.
In the four years since Roe v. Wade was overturned and Illinois became a destination for abortion care, Illinois providers and advocates have rebuilt the state's infrastructure to support the tens of thousands of people who travel to the state for abortion services every year.
June is National Aphasia Awareness Month, raising awareness of a disorder that affects a person's ability to speak, write, and understand both spoken and written language.
Illinois American Water and Aqua Illinois are both seeking rate increases that would raise monthly bills by as much as $28, while their parent companies seek regulatory approval to merge — a deal a consumer watchdog says would give one company control of nearly all regulated water customers in the state.
The Federal Trade Commission and attorneys general from several states secured a right-to-repair settlement Wednesday with agriculture equipment giant Deere & Co. — commonly known as John Deere — that requires the company to let farmers and independent shops fix their own equipment.
Chicago Soul Café opened Monday at 6248 S. St. Lawrence Ave.
The Chicago Bears this weekend said they are assessing land at Wolf Lake Terminals in Hammond, Indiana, for a possible new stadium.
As an alternative to legalizing video gambling terminals citywide, Bally's offered to open slot machine lounges at O'Hare and Midway, saying the move would replace the $6.8 million the city budgeted from VGTs.
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra's summer home in Highland Park reopened after a $70 million gut renovation that redesigned the stage to reduce sound levels harmful to musicians.
Bonnie Tyler, the Welsh pop star best known for singing the chart-topping power ballad "Total Eclipse of the Heart" in 1983, has died. She was 75.
The nominations for the 78th annual Primetime Emmy Awards were announced Wednesday morning in Los Angeles, with the final season of HBO Max's "Hacks" setting a new record for the most nominations in a single year for a comedy series.
Nikki Glaser, Michelle Wolf, Ali Siddiq and Bert Kreischer are among the comedians coming to the city to perform from Nov. 5 to Nov. 15.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce were married as they celebrated their wedding with hundreds of guests Friday at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Google will start flagging AI generated ads, with some additional labels depending on the regulations where you are.
The University of Chicago Law School is banning first-year students from using phones and laptops in the classroom as part of a broader strategy to curb AI usage.
Some scattered showers possible but mostly sunny and cooler by the lake Friday. Highs in the low 80s.
Customers across Illinois could be facing higher water and sewage bills as the state's largest private water utilities seek rate increases and permission to merge.
As a bill to regulate e-bikes and e-scooters sits on Gov. JB Pritzker's desk awaiting his signature, other state leaders are trying to spread the word of what parents should know if their kids want one.
The FBI is now offering a $50,000 reward to find a fugitive who is wanted for the 2021 murder of Illinois Army National Guardsman Chrys Carvajal.
The University of Chicago Law School is banning first-year students from using phones and laptops in the classroom as part of a broader strategy to curb AI usage.
A federal appeals court on Thursday upheld an Illinois ban on semiautomatic weapons, keeping in place a law passed largely in response to a deadly Independence Day parade shooting.
According to the U.S. Marshals, the homicide suspect was taken to a hospital and will be extradited back to Chicago once he is medically cleared.
As a bill to regulate e-bikes and e-scooters sits on Gov. JB Pritzker's desk awaiting his signature, other state leaders are trying to spread the word of what parents should know if their kids want one.
New Cook County State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill Burke is fighting innocence claims more often than her predecessor, Kim Foxx, and hiring outside counsel to help.
On Tuesday evening, CBS News Chicago reported on wild weeds taking over a property in the South Side's Washington Heights neighborhood, and neighbors who said they spent months trying to get help.
Kevin Jackson was wrongfully convicted of murder and spent 22 years in prison before he was freed. Now he has realized his dream by starting a landscaping business. But his quest to be declared innocent continues.
The weeds keep growing, and the complaints keep piling up, but neighbors on one street in the Washington Heights community on Chicago's South Side say nothing is changing.
City officials unveil underground stormwater storage units to reduce flooding on the West Side
Conversations about how Caitlin Clark is treated on a basketball court can be polarizing as fans, players, coaches, pundits and even the U.S. Congress has an opinion about what should or shouldn't happen in regards to the WNBA All-Star.
Caleb Durbin hit a two-run homer to help the surging Boston Red Sox top the Chicago White Sox 2-1 for their sixth consecutive victory.
Jeremiah Jackson hit a two-run double in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift the Baltimore Orioles to a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Thursday.
The WNBA will be holding some marquee All-Star events at Chicago's newly opened Obama Presidential Center later this month.
Pete Crow-Armstrong hit two of Chicago's five home runs and the Cubs outslugged the Baltimore Orioles 9-7 on Wednesday night.
The Chicago Transit Authority this week released new crime statistics indicating that violent crime is down on the transit system.
An 18-year-old man was facing charges Thursday after police said he fired a gun into a home in the south Chicago suburb of Oak Forest.
Thieves left empty-handed in an attempted crash-and-grab burglary in Chicago's Budlong Woods neighborhood early Thursday, police said.
A 16-year-old boy was charged this week in a mass shooting that left three people dead in Chicago's West Chatham community in 2024.
The men accused in a crime spree that involved an attack on a CBS News Chicago crew last week were back in court Wednesday morning.
