Bally’s Proposes Airport Slots in Chicago As a Revenue-Generating Alternative to VGTs
Airport slots in Nevada (Credit: Grendelkhan/Wikimedia Commons)
As the fight over video gaming terminals (VGTs) in Chicago rages on, local casino operator Bally’s has stepped forward and proposed a compromise of sorts. If the city nixes the planned VGTs, Bally’s offered to install slot machines at the city’s two airports to make up for the lost revenue.
A Bally’s representative quoted by the Chicago Sun-Times said the slot machine lounges could produce up to $25 million per year for the city.
The fight over VGTs — gambling machines outside of traditional casinos, usually found in bars and restaurants — in Chicago has been extremely contentious. The machines have proliferated throughout Illinois, but Chicago had not allowed them until it passed a 2026 budget that included licensing them.
If the carrot doesn’t work, Bally’s has already readied the stick. According to CBS News, Bally’s has warned Chicago council members that it may respond two-fold. The casino would halt its $4 million annual payments to the city, and it would file a lawsuit against the city.
Airport Slots Could Be Chicago’s Alternative to VGTs
Illinois has one of the most robust gaming frameworks in the country.
According to American Gaming Association data, the state produced more than $2.9 billion in gross casino gaming revenue in 2024. Only New York produced more sportsbook GGR in 2024. And its VGT market is the nation’s largest, with almost 50,000 terminals producing about $3 billion in annual revenue.
However, Chicago has kept VGTs on the outskirts. Some autonomous suburbs allow them, but the city proper has kept its doors closed. Chicago’s city council, along with Mayor Brandon Johnson, passed a budget that finally included VGT licensing for 2026. Proponents expected $6.8 million in revenue in the first year.
Chicago already instituted a controversial city-wide tax on online sports bets in hopes of replenishing its depleted coffers.
Mayor Johnson has attempted to reverse course on the VGT licensing. Alderpersons on the city council remain determined to forge ahead with the VGTs, though.
Bally’s operates a temporary casino in the city and is constructing a permanent one with a target 2027 opening date. Its rumblings about halting payments to the city have not deterred VGT proponents.
One such proponent, Ald. Anthony Beale said that Bally’s had clearance to install the airport slots “years ago” but has yet to do so. He also said the airport slots may not fill the budget shortfall, since revenue raised at Chicago O’Hare and Chicago Midway airports must go into a special fund that supports the airports.
Only Two US Airports Currently Offer Slot Gambling
Airport slot machines have become a famous part of Las Vegas, greeting passengers with gambling options more or less the instant that they land. Gaming-friendly Nevada’s second-largest airport, Reno-Tahoe, also has airport slots.
They generally offer a poorer return-to-player (RTP) than those found in casinos, but they can sometimes be profitable because they’re shielded from advantage players. Since the general public can’t access them, APs can’t camp out at profitable slots like they might in a casino.
Despite the ongoing trend of gambling expansion throughout the U.S., airport slots remain the province of only Nevada.
Mayor Johnson and his allies would have to prevail in their fight against the pro-VGT lawmakers in Chicago in order for that to change. That battle figures to remain heated and develop over the coming weeks and months. But the rubber will soon meet the road, as the first license applications are already being evaluated.
Image credit: Grendelkhan/Wikimedia Commons (license)
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