Slot Machines Could Be Coming To 2 Busy Hub Illinois Airports

Will you be gambling at the gate?

If you've ever had a long layover at an airport, you know it's so boring it's draining. Now, it could be a different kind of draining at Chicago O'Hare and Midway.

According to Secret Chicago, Bally's is chatting with Chicago city officials about installing slot machines at the two airports.

The City of Chicago's Chief Financial Officer, Jill Jaworski, brought up the effort on Wednesday at the first city council meeting about the 2026 budget proposal. Jaworski says that representatives from Bally's have expressed interest in bringing slot machines to the airports.

She acknowledged it wouldn't be an easy route to get the machines in the airports, as it would "require navigating numerous logistical and regulatory hurdles". The slot machines would be in the designated lounge areas, instead of just being spread out through the concourses.

City leaders are mixed on the idea, though some see it as a measure of generating revenue the city really needs, as Chicago is in a $1.15 billion deficit for the 2026 fiscal year.

Currently, the only 2 U.S. airports that have slot machines are Vegas and Reno.

The average layover time in the U.S. (if you're flying domestically) can be 1-3 hours, and if you're traveling internationally, it can be a longer layover for you. That's not taking into consideration delays or other conditions that can extend your layover too. Considering how boring that time can be, it wouldn't be surprising for a major hub like Chicago to open the slots for something people can do.