Political Pay Off? Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker explains how he won $1.4 million gambling in Las Vegas

[desertrunner]

Is this how they do political pay off's now or launder- just go to Vegas, sit down at black jack and walk away with 1.4 million? Druff needs to investigate and report back on radio.



https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y0gr4y4r2o
https://news3lv.com/news/local/illin...cs-jb-pritzker
https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/16/polit...-vegas-million
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/pol...ack-rcna237961

CHICAGO -- Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker won $1.4 million playing blackjack in Las Vegas last year, according to a release from his campaign, training a spotlight on the billionaire Democrat's tremendous personal wealth with a potential 2028 presidential campaign looming.

At a press conference Thursday, Pritzker was asked about the disclosure and said that he won the prize while on a vacation with friends. His campaign noted that he donated the winnings to charity.

"I went on vacation with my wife, with some friends, I was incredibly lucky. You have to be to end up ahead, frankly, going to a casino anywhere," Pritzker joked. "It was in Las Vegas, and I like to play cards."

Pritzker noted that he had founded a charitable poker tournament in Chicago "that has raised millions of dollars for the Holocaust Museum here, and particularly to stand up for civil rights."

"So anyway, that's, that's all I can say about it," Pritzker remarked. "Had fun doing it. I, you know, encourage people to come to the state of Illinois and gamble in our casinos here, we have some really lovely places to go."

[Dan Druff]

It's a little bit weird, and I know that the right is having a field day with the conspiracy theories, but it's not likely a payoff.

Pritzker is worth $4 billion. He wants to be President. He's not taking a $1.4m bribe AND declaring it on his tax return, given his existing wealth and huge potential downside of being caught/suspected.

My guess?

Being so rich, he played a little bit of blackjack at very high stakes (obviously a billionaire ain't gonna wager $100/hand), got lucky, won $1.4m, and had to declare it. He probably only had one session the entire year.

[1dollarboxcar]

claimed he had to leave due to an appointment or he said he would of probably gambled it all back and then some....