Chicago is actively pursuing the possibility of installing slot machines at O’Hare and Midway airports — and Bally’s has identified a site for those machines at Midway, a top mayoral aide disclosed Tuesday.
Chief Financial Officer Jill Jaworski made that surprise announcement during the first day of City Council hearings on Mayor Brandon Johnson’s proposed $16.6 billion budget.
“We’ve had a conversation with Bally’s about moving that forward. … We have been in conversation with them about investigating that. They have expressed interest,” Jaworski said. “There are some technical challenges that we have to deal with — ensuring that we’re complying with all the regulations that are at the airports. But those conversations have been ongoing. They have identified a site at Midway and we continue to work to move that forward.”
Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th) was delighted to hear that the airport slot machine idea he has championed was finally moving forward.
He thought it was dead when senior mayoral adviser Jason Lee tried to ground the idea, telling the Chicago Sun-Times in early August that installing slots at O’Hare and Midway would turn the aerial gateways to Chicago into a chintzy Las Vegas replica.
Lee has argued that the last thing a booming O’Hare needs after a record-setting surge in summer travel is to follow the lead of Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, which has 1,300 slot machines distributed throughout its terminals.
Slot machines are impossible to miss at that airport, formerly named McCarran. They’re everywhere — from the baggage claim area and retail space to terminal gates and car rental kiosks.
Villegas has a pending ordinance that would authorize installation of hundreds of video gambling machines beyond security checkpoints at O’Hare and Midway.
On Tuesday, the Economic and Capital Development Committee chair once again scoffed at the notion that airport slot machines would somehow diminish Chicago’s reputation as a classy city.
“Absolutely not. This would give passengers an opportunity to kill time while they’re waiting to fly out or they’re delayed or they’re being rerouted to Chicago, given all of the challenges with air traffic controllers,” Villegas said.
Villegas said slot machines should be confined to segregated lounges beyond the security checkpoint. They would essentially serve as “mini-casinos” where food and drinks could be purchased.
“It would be sectioned in an area where it’s not chintzy. Just like when I fly, I go to the United Club to grab a bite to eat, maybe get a drink while I’m waiting for my flight,” Villegas said. “If a lounge was available and I felt like it, maybe I’d go spend 10 or 20 bucks to kill more time, maybe get lucky and get some additional spending money for my trip.”
