It seems that the state of Illinois is deemed to become the gambling capital of the entire Midwest. As it was reported, the state’s officials are working tirelessly on making this statement come true and thanks to the latest gambling expansions, it seems that the state’s residents, as well as visitors who enjoy gambling, have so much to look forward. The latest gambling expansion bill was introduced back in June this year.
This more than eight hundred-pages bill was introduced and later on, passed by the state’s General Assembly. Thanks to this gambling bill being fully realized, the state’s gambling market’s potential has risen significantly with new gambling terminals and facilities opening their doors to the public. This particular legislation legalized different sportsbetting activities as well as sanctioned six brand-new gambling facilities including one located in Chicago.
Moreover, it also increased the number of gambling machines and their maximum stakes allowed. The legislation approved by the state’s officials also transformed the state’s massive horse racing industry into one of the leading in the states with new facilities of this kind emerging. Within only two years, the state of Illinois could have more than seven thousand establishments, more than five thousand sportsbetting kiosks, five horse racing facilities, as well as loads of online sportsbetting activities easily accessible to millions.
The Bill Allowing Poker and Video Slot Machines at Chicago’s Midway and O’Hare Airports
As legalized by the latest gambling expansion bill, the state’s officials also allowed poker and video slot machines at the most visited Chicago’s airports including Midway and O’Hare. One recent investigation suggests that the state of Illinois could potentially earn more than $18 million every year from video slot machines at airports. In order to potentially achieve this, Illinois has to bring around five hundred slot machines to Chicago’s Midway and O’Hare airports.
According to one Chicago Sun-Times report, this particular inquiry was prepared by the prominent Union Gaming Analytics team. The team behind the scenes was the one to determine that bringing this number of slot machines to the two Chicago’s airports would yearly bring massive revenue increases of around $36 million. This Illinois-sanctioned investigation also suggested that this return would be even better if combined with the revenue generated by the most visited airports in Reno and Las Vegas which are the only facilities of this kind that currently offer slot machine terminals.
As reported by Chicago Sun-Times, one of the airports offering slot machines McCarran International Airports currently offers around one thousand and five hundred slot machines while the other one, located in Reno, Tahoe International Airport offers around two hundred and fifty slot machines. However, each of these machines earns significantly below the industry’s standards of around $151 per day.
Chicago’s Airports Could Potentially Generate $200 Daily from Each Slot Machine
As reported by the Union Gaming Analytics team, the two Chicago’s airports could generate around $200 from each slot machine which is significantly over the industry’s standards. It was also reported that the slot machines situated inside Midway and O’Hare would be seen by more customers as these two airports together accommodated more than fifty million passengers last year which is significantly more than the two Nevada-based airports.
