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After years of saying “not in our house,” Chicago is finally opening the door to video gambling terminals (VGTs). On Tuesday, the City Council’s License and Consumer Protection Committee voted 8 to 6 to let certain businesses install the machines.
The timing is no accident. The Windy City is staring down a $1.15 billion budget deficit, and aldermen are desperate for new ways to fill the pot. Alderman Anthony Beale pitched VGTs as the friendlier option compared to jacking up property taxes or writing more parking tickets.
Alderman Anthony Beale, the loudest voice behind the push, did not sugarcoat it:
“Are we to just sit back and look down the barrel of a $1.5 billion deficit with nothing in sight, or are we to look for additional revenues that don’t affect everyone, like property taxes?
Are we going to turn a blind eye on $60 million to $100 million? Or are we going to be creative to do something a little different, something the city has never done before?”
The Family Feud Nobody Can Solve
Chicago’s VGT fight is tied up in a bigger gambling family feud. Across the state lawmakers have flirted with legalizing online casinos in Illinois, but every time the idea pops up, VGT operators and local business owners have fought hard to block it.
Their fear is simple. If players can spin online slots on their phones at home, why would they head to corner taverns, bowling alleys, or truck stops to use VGTs? The Illinois Licensed Beverage Association has been saying for years that iGaming would eat neighborhood businesses alive.
So the state is stuck in limbo while Michigan, New Jersey and the likes rake in billions from online casinos. Illinois has the tech and the appetite but keeps folding to protect bars, restaurants, and terminal operators.
The Bally’s Problem
Of course it is not just VGT operators cheering. There is also Bally’s on the table. The casino is building a two billion dollar resort in River West, and a temporary site is already running at Medinah Temple. The city’s deal with Bally’s was supposed to be its jackpot moment.
Mayor Brandon Johnson is not convinced VGTs will not ruin the game. Slots inside Bally’s are taxed higher than VGTs, meaning Chicago could actually make less money if players ditch the casino for their neighborhood bar machines. He once leaned toward supporting VGTs. Now he’s calling them a bad bet for long-term revenue.
“We can’t leave millions of dollars on the table. And so, whatever comes from City Council — if it doesn’t maximize the full benefit of what this opportunity could bring to the revenue structure of our city, then I’m not going to be supportive of it,” Johnson said.
What Happens Next
This committee vote was just the appetizer. The full City Council still has to decide whether Chicago finally lets VGTs in or keeps pretending they do not exist while the suburbs bring in the cash.
For now, the Windy City is caught between three gambling heavyweights, being casinos, VGTs, and online platforms, all fighting for the same wallet. Chicago needs the money, but whether VGTs are the jackpot or just another bluff is the million-dollar question.
