Watch CBS News

Upcoming Video Gaming Tax Has Gamers Seeing Red

CHICAGO (CBS)--Netflix, Pandora, Spotify-- those are just some of the streaming services Chicagoans already get taxed on as part of the city's amusement tax.

The same amusement tax has applied to streaming entertainment services since 2015, but starting on Nov. 14, PlayStation users in Chicago will be hit with the same 9 percent tax charged by other entertainment providers.

The new tax--the result of an agreement between Sony and the City of Chicago--has some gamers seeing red.

Some gamers on Thursday night were just getting word that their gaming hobby was about to get more expensive.

"You are just playing in the comfort of your living room playing PlayStation--why do you have to be taxed on it--makes no sense," said PlayStation gamer David Kim. "Why should I have to pay extra (if) I didn't have to pay before, why do I have to pay now?"

Gamer Danny Yoshiba agreed.

"I think it's kind of ridiculous that you have to pay more to play the same game," Yoshiba said.

Jeffrey Schwab, a senior attorney with the Liberty Justice Center, said the city could be overstepping its boundaries with the PlayStation tax.

"We think the city doesn't have the constitutional right to do that," Schwab said. "They tax not based on whether or not anyone used it in Chicago, but if they had a billing address in Chicago," he said.

 

 

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.