The proposed legislation allowing video gaming terminals in Chicago passed out of committee last week but did not come to a full council vote due to sponsor Ald. Tony Beale’s (9th) decision to further develop the ordinance, according to Ald. Marty Quinn.
Mayor Brandon Johnson opposes video gaming terminals in Chicago, not wanting to negatively impact Bally’s casino profits and thinks the 5 percent VGT revenue share allotted to the city is too small to warrant consideration.
Ald. Silvana Tabares (23rd) supports the VGT ordinance, citing the continued struggle by restaurants in her ward to recover pandemic dollars.
“The restaurants that border the suburbs like in my ward? People are going to the suburbs to eat. These restaurants also have gaming machines and we are losing revenue,” Tabares said.
The alderman also added that with underfunded pensions being the number one budget issue for Chicago, gaming revenue should go to police, fire and city worker pension funds.
An examination by the Southwest News-Herald of five suburbs near or bordering Chicago included Bedford Park, Bridgeview, Burbank, Cicero and Stickney.
The combined 2024 suburban population in those suburbs was 137,742 people and the suburbs netted a total of $2,547,235.21 between January and September, according to the Illinois Gaming Board’s Video Gaming Report.
Hypothetically, by comparing the five suburbs’ total population and their gaming revenue numbers to the city’s 2024 population of 2,721,308 people, the city could realize roughly $67,926,272 in revenue in 12 months.
This total estimate covers a single snapshot moment and does not take into account fluctuating VGT revenue numbers year over year.
Ald. Ray Lopez disagreed with the mayor’s opposition to VGTs in Chicago based on reduction of Bally’s casino profits.
Bally’s customer base is different from people using VGTs in bars “like Waller’s or Bobby G’s”, he said.
“The mayor is protecting the $3 million bonus Bally’s gave Chicago for violence prevention under Lori Lightfoot,” Lopez said. “It’s conditional on never allowing video gaming in the City of Chicago.”
Quinn agreed easy video terminal gaming opportunities exist close to the 13th Ward in Bedford Park, a short drive down 65th Street or in Summit at the Thornton’s gas station at 59th and Harlem.
“I think the conversation is evolving,” he said. “Alderman Beale is right in saying this is potentially a new revenue stream that the city doesn’t have right now and that’s, frankly, what we have to be thinking about when trying to fix a budget hole.”
Is the Madigan-Quinn service vehicle still in operation?