Overview

• Council members formally introduced one ordinance for hundreds of terminals at O’Hare and Midway and another lifting the citywide ban on video gambling
• The revenue subcommittee chaired by Ald. William Hall will hold hearings on July 21 to vet licensing fees, oversight rules and potential state tax formula changes
• Ald. Gilbert Villegas’s airport proposal envisions up to 400 terminals generating as much as $116.8 million in annual gross revenue under its fee structure
• Chief Financial Officer Jill Jaworski’s study warns video gambling may yield only $10 million per year and could cannibalize existing casino slot income without tax adjustments
• Ald. Hall wants to pair legalization with a crackdown on illegal sweepstakes machines to clear the way for more than 3,800 regulated gaming terminals