Is Your Chicago Bar Eligible for Video Gaming? Check Your Liquor License in Seconds
Monte Cristo Gaming — September 29, 2026
Chicago lifted its ban on video gaming terminals in the December 2025 city budget. Since then, the Illinois Gaming Board has approved roughly 65 Chicago establishments, and hundreds more applications are in the queue. The first question every bar and restaurant owner asks us is the simplest one: am I even eligible?
That's why we built Check Your Eligibility, a free lookup that answers the question in seconds.
How the tool works
Type your business name as it appears on your City of Chicago liquor license.
Pick your establishment from the list. The tool matches it to the license on file, including the address.
Get a preliminary answer. Based on your license type under current Illinois law and City of Chicago ordinance, the tool tells you whether your license positions you to add video gaming terminals.
No forms, no phone call, no sales pitch standing between you and the answer.
Why the liquor license decides it
Under the Illinois Video Gaming Act, video gaming is generally limited to establishments licensed to serve alcohol for consumption on the premises, plus certain truck stops and fraternal and veterans organizations. A packaged-goods-only license, for example, usually won't qualify on its own. Your license type is the first gate, which is why it's the first thing the tool checks.
What "eligible" does and doesn't mean
A green light from the tool is a preliminary assessment, not a license. To actually turn machines on in Chicago, a location still needs:
State approval from the Illinois Gaming Board, which includes background review of the owners.
A local license from the City of Chicago. As of late September 2026, the city has not issued any, so no terminals are live in Chicago yet. (We track this closely in Chicago VGT: Where It Stands, and Where It Goes Next.)
Compliance with the gaming-area rules, including a space restricted to adults 21 and over and within view of staff.
Final eligibility is also subject to further City of Chicago rulemaking and license verification. The tool gives you a fast, honest starting point. It doesn't replace the process.
If you're eligible: what to do next
The locations that already hold state approval will be first in line when Chicago starts issuing local licenses. Getting into the state queue is the head start. Three practical steps:
Size the opportunity. Use our Project Your Revenue tool, then check it against real results from similar businesses in the Illinois VGT Performance Database.
Plan the room. Where the machines go, how the space feels, and how staff can see it all matter as much as the machines themselves. Try Design Your Casino Room.
Talk to an operator before you sign anything. Ask about service response times, game mix, reporting, and player marketing. Terms vary more than most owners realize.
If the tool says you're not eligible
Don't assume that's the end of the conversation. Sometimes the issue is the license type, sometimes it's how the business is listed. Reach out and we'll help you understand why, and whether anything could change that answer.
Check your Chicago bar or restaurant now: montecristogaming.com/check-your-eligibility
This tool and article are for informational purposes only and are not legal advice or a guarantee of eligibility. 21+. Please play responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call or text 1-800-GAMBLER.
