Video Gambling Has Exploded in Illinois, but Promises of a Financial Windfall Have Come Up Short

Since Illinois legalized video gambling in 2009, tens of thousands of machines have been installed all over the state, except in communities where local ordinances prohibit them, such as Chicago. By hitting “play” below, you can watch the revenue generated by the machines grow over time and how those revenues failed to meet the projections of legislators.

September 2012

July 2010Sept. 2012Nov. 20180$1.25B$2.5BProjectedActual2012: Machines go live
State Revenue Projected By Lawmakers
$
868580
million
Actual state revenue
$
8282,858183
Amount gambled
$
828683,878186
July 2010Sept. 2012Nov. 2018016K32K
Video Gambling Terminals
8681
Places to Play
8183
Play
2010-07-01T00:00:00-05:002010-08-01T00:00:00-05:002010-09-01T00:00:00-05:002010-10-01T00:00:00-05:002010-11-01T00:00:00-05:002010-12-01T00:00:00-06:002011-01-01T00:00:00-06:002011-02-01T00:00:00-06:002011-03-01T00:00:00-06:002011-04-01T00:00:00-05:002011-05-01T00:00:00-05:002011-06-01T00:00:00-05:002011-07-01T00:00:00-05:002011-08-01T00:00:00-05:002011-09-01T00:00:00-05:002011-10-01T00:00:00-05:002011-11-01T00:00:00-05:002011-12-01T00:00:00-06:002012-01-01T00:00:00-06:002012-02-01T00:00:00-06:002012-03-01T00:00:00-06:002012-04-01T00:00:00-05:002012-05-01T00:00:00-05:002012-06-01T00:00:00-05:002012-07-01T00:00:00-05:002012-08-01T00:00:00-05:002012-09-01T00:00:00-05:002012-10-01T00:00:00-05:002012-11-01T00:00:00-05:002012-12-01T00:00:00-06:002013-01-01T00:00:00-06:002013-02-01T00:00:00-06:002013-03-01T00:00:00-06:002013-04-01T00:00:00-05:002013-05-01T00:00:00-05:002013-06-01T00:00:00-05:002013-07-01T00:00:00-05:002013-08-01T00:00:00-05:002013-09-01T00:00:00-05:002013-10-01T00:00:00-05:002013-11-01T00:00:00-05:002013-12-01T00:00:00-06:002014-01-01T00:00:00-06:002014-02-01T00:00:00-06:002014-03-01T00:00:00-06:002014-04-01T00:00:00-05:002014-05-01T00:00:00-05:002014-06-01T00:00:00-05:002014-07-01T00:00:00-05:002014-08-01T00:00:00-05:002014-09-01T00:00:00-05:002014-10-01T00:00:00-05:002014-11-01T00:00:00-05:002014-12-01T00:00:00-06:002015-01-01T00:00:00-06:002015-02-01T00:00:00-06:002015-03-01T00:00:00-06:002015-04-01T00:00:00-05:002015-05-01T00:00:00-05:002015-06-01T00:00:00-05:002015-07-01T00:00:00-05:002015-08-01T00:00:00-05:002015-09-01T00:00:00-05:002015-10-01T00:00:00-05:002015-11-01T00:00:00-05:002015-12-01T00:00:00-06:002016-01-01T00:00:00-06:002016-02-01T00:00:00-06:002016-03-01T00:00:00-06:002016-04-01T00:00:00-05:002016-05-01T00:00:00-05:002016-06-01T00:00:00-05:002016-07-01T00:00:00-05:002016-08-01T00:00:00-05:002016-09-01T00:00:00-05:002016-10-01T00:00:00-05:002016-11-01T00:00:00-05:002016-12-01T00:00:00-06:002017-01-01T00:00:00-06:002017-02-01T00:00:00-06:002017-03-01T00:00:00-06:002017-04-01T00:00:00-05:002017-05-01T00:00:00-05:002017-06-01T00:00:00-05:002017-07-01T00:00:00-05:002017-08-01T00:00:00-05:002017-09-01T00:00:00-05:002017-10-01T00:00:00-05:002017-11-01T00:00:00-05:002017-12-01T00:00:00-06:002018-01-01T00:00:00-06:002018-02-01T00:00:00-06:002018-03-01T00:00:00-06:002018-04-01T00:00:00-05:002018-05-01T00:00:00-05:002018-06-01T00:00:00-05:002018-07-01T00:00:00-05:002018-08-01T00:00:00-05:002018-09-01T00:00:00-05:002018-10-01T00:00:00-05:002018-11-01T00:00:00-05:00

September
2012

Monthly terminal income by location

$160K+
$120K - $160K
$80K - $120K
$40K - $80K
$0K - $40K

Note: Revenue figures include accounting corrections as of Dec. 21, 2018. See our accompanying methodology for full details.

Source: Illinois Gaming Board

Credit: David Eads and Katlyn Alo/ProPublica Illinois

16K