Illinois to see 4 new consumer protection laws enacted
[June 26, 2026]
By Sean Reed | The Center Square
(The Center Square) – Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker was joined by state
lawmakers and other officials Thursday to sign a four-bill package of
legislation aimed at targeting deceptive and fraudulent business
practices Thursday.
The new consumer-focused laws have been introduced for multiple years
and have been a collaborative effort between Pritzker, Attorney General
Kwame Raoul and state lawmakers.
“Every day, families across the state are making difficult choices about
how to stretch their paychecks,” the governor said. “This legislative
session, the general assembly and I put our shoulders to the wheel to
lower costs for working families.”
Prohibition on Bots Purchasing Tickets Act
At independent Chicago venue Concord Music Hall, founder of the venue
and music festival Riot Fest, “Riot” Mike Petryshyn celebrated a number
of bills signed by the governor that he said will support event
attendees when buying tickets.
“People just want a fair shot at tickets and know exactly what they're
getting. That's why we're happy to support these efforts. Requiring
ticket prices to be up front gives fans more transparency and it helps
build trust. Going after bots means more real fans have a chance to buy
tickets instead of competing with automated software,” Petryshyn said.
The pair of laws will make it illegal to use automated bots to purchase
tickets to events and for ticket sellers and resellers to sell
non-existent tickets.
Junk Fee Ban Act
State Rep. Bob Morgan, D-Chicago, said his law is intended to bring more
transparency to consumers in Illinois by prohibiting retailers and
service providers from adding “junk fees” to a total price.
“Every day, Illinois residents encounter hidden junk fees when booking a
hotel room, or renting a vacation property, purchasing tickets online,
ordering food delivery, and so much more. These charges often appear
only after you've received the check,” Morgan said. “Hidden fees are
costing the average family about $3,000 a year.”
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Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker addresses members of the media at his
ceremonial office in the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield on
Monday. Photo: Sean Reed / The Center Square
Supporters in Springfield said the proposal would put money back in the
pockets of Illinois residents when it initially passed. Some critics
argued the fees will just be factored in the up-front price, effectively
not having an impact on the prices paid by residents.
Buy-Now-Pay-Later Loan Regulation Act
State Rep. Bob Rita, D-Blue Island, spoke about his bill, which gives
the state more authority to regulate “buy now, pay later” services that
provide single-purchase loans, offered by financial tech companies like
Klarna and Paypal.
“These products often turn easy payments into long-term financial
strain. As I've said before, these buy now, pay later loans get you a
lifetime of desperation. Whether you're at the grocery store, trying to
buy groceries or running a tight budget, it often becomes a loan shark
with a new paint job,” Rita said.
According to data from Lending Tree, 47% of all Americans have used a
buy now, pay later service at least once, and nearly half of all
consumers that have debt from the services are late on their payments.
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