Chicago Politician Advocates for the Legalization of Video Gaming Machines Within City Limits
Springfield, the state capital of Illinois, leads the way in video gaming terminals (VGTs), with about 137 businesses offering them, according to state records. In contrast, Chicago, despite its ban on VGTs, continues to see the proliferation of sweepstakes machines, which are considered grey gaming apparatuses and are deemed illegal gambling devices by the Illinois Gaming Board.
Chicago's VGT ban, in place since 2012, has not prevented small businesses from bringing in sweepstakes devices. These machines allow players to bet real cash to win store credit, and they have been a contentious issue.
Recently, state Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago) introduced House Bill 5791 to the Illinois House of Representatives. This legislation aims to allow small businesses in Chicago to seek a video gaming terminal (VGT) license, regardless of whether they currently offer illegal sweepstakes machines.
However, the current status of House Bill 5791, its provisions, or financial impact assessments are not covered by the available search results as of August 2025.
It's worth noting that should Chicago lift its VGT prohibition, House Bill 5791 would create a framework for businesses currently offering sweepstakes machines to seek slot-like VGT permits from the Illinois Gaming Board. This could potentially bring in new revenue for the city, as Springfield generated approximately $2.5 million in local tax revenue from VGT devices last year.
Across the state, Illinoisans wagered $2.8 billion on VGT machines last year, according to state gaming regulators. However, the financial implications for Chicago, should House Bill 5791 be passed, are not yet clear.
Chicago's Mayor, Brandon Johnson, has not yet taken a public position on lifting the city's VGT ban. Given his stated efforts to find new revenue sources to curb the city's homelessness problem, some speculate that he might be open to the idea.
Meanwhile, the $1.7 billion Bally's Chicago downtown casino, initially touted as a significant contributor to funding, has faced delays in its development. In a recent special referendum, Chicago voters turned down a $100 million initiative to increase property taxes for affordable housing and homelessness prevention.
Alderman William Hall has stated that they need to look at every revenue option, indicating a potential openness to lifting the more than decade-old VGT ban in Chicago. As the city grapples with funding its broken pension system for first responders, the potential revenue from VGTs could be an attractive prospect.
However, without concrete details about House Bill 5791's progress in the legislative process, its provisions, or financial impact assessments, it remains to be seen whether the VGT ban in Chicago will be lifted in the near future.
- Despite Chicago's ban on video gaming terminals (VGTs) since 2012, small businesses in the city are still operating sweepstakes machines, a contentious issue.
- Illinois state Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago) has proposed House Bill 5791 to allow small businesses in Chicago to obtain VGT licenses, even if they currently operate sweepstakes machines.
- If Chicago lifts its VGT ban and House Bill 5791 is passed, businesses offering sweepstakes machines might transition to obtaining slot-like VGT permits from the Illinois Gaming Board.
- The potential revenue generated from VGTs in Chicago could help address issues such as homelessness and pension funding, but the financial implications are not yet clear.
- Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson's stance on lifting the VGT ban remains unclear, as he seeks new revenue sources to address the city's homelessness problem and broken pension system for first responders.
