Question of the Day - 25 October 2025

These are just two of several questions we've received about Illinois Governor JB Pritzker's big blackjack win in Las Vegas in 2024. 

We should first note that Jay Robert Pritzker's net worth is estimated at just under $4 billion, tied for #382 on the most recent Forbes 400 list of the nation's richest people. So it's not all that big a deal -- to him -- that he won $1.4 million. Fact is, $1.4 million to someone with $4 billion is the same as $35 to someone with $100,000. Pocket change. 

Anyway, nothing has been revealed about what casino he was playing in, whether or not he'd played there previously, won or lost big, or received comps. Here's what we do know.

The Pritzker family is one of America’s wealthiest and most influential dynasties, best known for founding and owning the Hyatt Hotels chain, as well as their extensive philanthropic, political, and business influence. Nicholas Pritzker, a immigrant from Ukraine when it was part of the Russian Empire, arrived in the U.S. in the late 19th century, having escaped the pogroms in the Pale of Settlement. The major fortunes were built by Nicholas' son Abram Nicholas (A.N.) Pritzker and his sons Jay, Donald, and Robert Pritzker in the mid-20th century. JB's father was Donald Pritzker, who died of a heart attack when he was 39.

The family became known for its sophisticated use of trusts and tax strategies to grow and preserve wealth across generations and at one point, a dozen heirs were billionaires — unique even among dynasties. JB is among America’s richest politicians.

Meanwhile, the Pritzkers are no strangers to casinos. They never went all in on the gaming industry, but they've held financial stakes in a few casino-hotels, usually through Hyatt. The casino most directly associated with the Pritzker/Hyatt empire was the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa & Casino, up in Incline Village on the north shore of Lake Tahoe, though they're no longer involved in its ownership. 

JB is known as an avid card player and a casino blackjack player for more than two decades, long before he became a politician. His Chicago Poker Challenge has raised millions of charity dollars for Chicago's Holocaust Museum and Education Center. As governor, he no longer plays in the tournament, but a friend said of him, "He's really comfortable around a poker table. He was always one of the better players at these tournaments.”

He's also supported legislation to expand gambling in Illinois and used the publicity over his big win to tout the state's 17 casinos: “We have some really lovely places to go,” he said.

We know about the $1.4 million win due to Pritzker's campaign releasing some details about his 2024 federal income taxes and that one was included. He's running for a third term as governor of Illinois; he was also a potential vice president for Kamala Harris during the last cycle and is often mentioned as a presidential hopeful in the next one. 

He's certainly gotten plenty of publicity over the gambling-win disclosure. About it, he said that he got "incredibly lucky. You have to be to end up ahead, going to a casino anywhere.” 

A Politico story quoted an unnamed source who's known Pritzker for years:  “He’s a whale in Vegas.” So we have to assume that he's treated as such, though perhaps at a casino that doesn't have any afilliation with Illinois.

The New York Times story quoted our good friend Richard Munchkin, advantage player extraordinaire and host of the “Gambling with an Edge" podcast. He told the Times that a high roller like Pritzker could have played at a private table and bet $100,000 on each hand. So $1.4 million would be 14 units, certainly not hard to do on a run of good cards, especially with a few double downs and splits. 

Good for JB. Maybe he should change his initials to BJ.