Cubs Get Approval For Wrigley Field Sportsbook Addition: Report

CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs are another step closer offering fans on-site sports betting after the Commission on Chicago Sports Landmarks approved the team adding a two-story addition onto Wrigley Field, according to a published report on Thursday.

The Chicago Tribune reported Thursday night that the Cubs received the OK from the commission for the addition. The two-story, 22,350 square foot sportsbook would be built on Wrigley’s southwest side at the corner of Sheffield Avenue and Addison St., according to renderings obtained by Crain’s Chicago Business.

The Cubs entered a multi-year agreement with DraftKings last September which set the wheels in motion for a plan that would allow sports betting to take place at Wrigley Field. The city would need to approve legislation as sports betting is not currently legal at any of the city’s pro sports venues. However, a bill introduced by Ald. Walter Burnett (27th) would allow sports betting to take place at stadiums like Wrigley Field, Guaranteed Rate Field, Soldier Field and Wintrust Arena.

When the Cubs and DraftKings entered the agreement last September, Crane Kenney, the Cubs’ president of business operations, said in a statement that the Cubs would be among the first teams to allow sports betting to take place at a professional sports venue.

"What we're really excited about is a major metropolitan presence of a destination flagship DraftKings sportsbook," Matt Kalish, co-founder and president of DraftKings, told ESPN last year. "I think it will be potentially one of the biggest sportsbooks in the country, even if all 50 states were open. So we're really excited to see what that kind of venue can do for DraftKings and the Cubs."

Under Burnett’s proposal, the city would receive annual licensing fees from DraftKings, in the amount of $50,000 the first year and $25,000 the second year. The bill is currently sitting in the city council’s Rules Committee and the city would need to take action on allowing on-site sports betting at city sports venues.

The Cubs, however, believe adding the sportsbook will add a new dimension to the game-day experience after sports betting has become more popular and is now legal in Illinois.

“We continue to work to balance the interests of preservation and of our building, which we know is a treasure to the city, with continuing to make it an exciting destination for our fans and to be able to add amenities that allow them to continue to enjoy it,” Cubs Vice President Mike Lufrano said at the hearing, the Tribune reported.

Wrigley Field, which was opened in 1914, was designated as a National Historic Landmark last fall. The National Park District would need to approve the addition at the ballpark, but if it does so, the Ricketts family – which spent $550 million in renovations at Wrigley over a five-year span, would stand to receive up to $75 million in tax credits, Crain’s reported on Thursday.

A Cubs spokesperson did not immediately return an email from Patch on Thursday seeking comment on the proposal.