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Mayor Johnson’s Last-Ditch Push to Stop Chicago Video Gambling Before Machines Switch On
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is working hard to get enough support to reverse the approval of the city’s first six video gaming terminal (VGT) licenses for bars and restaurants.
The City Council, in December, when passing the $16.6 billion 2026 budget, voted to end the decades-long ban. However, City Hall is now standing in the way, with the mayor determined to use every procedural tool, delay, and vote he can find to reverse course before the machines come into action. The question is whether he can move fast enough in the coming days to achieve his goal.
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Johnson’s Path Toward Possible Repeal
Mayor Johnson’s main play is a new ordinance that would scrap citywide video gambling outright. It would reinstate the prohibition that the council removed in its December budget. The measure would keep in place an agreement with the forthcoming Bally’s casino, while blocking terminals elsewhere.
Johnson sent the proposal to the council’s Committee on Workforce Development, which his ally, Alderperson Mike Rodriguez, chairs. This bypassed the License and Consumer Protection Committee, which usually deals with gaming permits. Opponents see this as a deliberate attempt to introduce it into the panel most likely to advance it.
The maneuver led to immediate criticism from the alderpersons who legalized the machines. License Committee Chair Debra Silverstein wrote a letter to Johnson accusing him of bypassing the committee with clear jurisdiction in favor of a politically connected one.
The Hearing That Wasn’t a Vote
The ordinance had a hearing on Monday morning, but no vote. Johnson’s office confirmed beforehand that the Workforce Development Committee would only discuss the matter. Pulling the vote indicates that Johnson doesn’t have the necessary support from at least 26 alderpeople to pass the ordinance.
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This is Mayor Johnson’s latest attempt to avoid VGT legalization. He initially bought time by not notifying the 3,300 eligible establishments of the commencement of the licensing process. This backfired when alderpeople bypassed the mayor and sent their own notification letter directly to the gaming board.
The one thing stopping businesses from turning on the machines is a city permit. Johnson and his team control this process. However, that window is closing.
Accel Gaming, one of the largest terminal operators in Illinois, is already working with newly licensed Chicago venues and expects the permit process to begin within the coming week. In addition to the six licensing approvals, another 280+ applications are pending. Each additional license that the state approves makes a clean reversal even harder. The toothpaste will be out of the tube at that point.
Bally’s Backing the Mayor
Mayor Johnson does have the support of the company behind the city’s first large-scale casino. Bally’s says that launching terminals would force it to renegotiate its agreement with the city. This would jeopardize a $4 million annual payment and endanger up to $74 million per year in revenue, plus threaten as many as 1,050 casino jobs.
A senior Bally’s executive said it plans to pursue every possible legal action if terminals go live. The company claims the money the city will make from licensing would be greatly outweighed by the money it would lose out on by cannibalizing the Bally’s casino revenue.
The coming week will reveal whether Mayor Johnson can get enough votes or if the city starts issuing permits to allow terminals to launch in Chicago.
Image credit: Paul Goyette/Flickr (license)
Andrew O'Malley
Editor
Andrew O’Malley has been involved in the gambling industry for more than a decade. With a background in math and finance, he brings a unique perspective to gambling journalism. He covers everything from the latest prediction market litigation to sports betting scandals and iGaming legislation for publications like Gambling Insider and Gaming America. As a gambling journalist, Andrew closely follows breaking stories while also producing in-depth analysis pieces. He frequently speaks with experts in their respective fields to provide unique and informed perspectives.