The Chicago City Council License Committee voted on Thursday to reject two ordinances that sought to prohibit video gambling machines in several city wards, an unusual departure from the council’s long-standing practice of deferring to local aldermen on matters affecting their districts.
The defeated proposals targeted the 26th, 27th, 28th, 33rd, 35th, and 49th wards. Ald. Jason Ervin of the 28th Ward and Ald. Walter “Red” Burnett of the 27th Ward had introduced the ordinances to prevent video gambling machines from operating within their respective wards.
During the committee meeting, both aldermen asked that their ordinances be held rather than voted on immediately. The requests were rejected by Ald. Debra Silverstein, chairwoman of the City Council License Committee. The decision represented a break from the customary aldermanic prerogative, under which the council typically follows the position of the ward’s elected alderman on local matters.
“I don’t know what the rush is. This is unprecedented for this body. Just understand this: I have never in my 15 years in council, for a ward-based matter, to be done in this matter. So this is highly unusual,” said Ald. Jason Ervin, 28th Ward Alderman (Chicago Tribune).
The committee’s vote comes as Chicago advances plans to permit video gambling machines across the city. In December 2025, the City Council approved a $16.6 billion budget that included legalizing video gambling as a revenue-generating initiative.
Supporters of citywide legalization are widely seen as reluctant to allow individual wards to opt out, as such exemptions could reduce the anticipated revenue from the expansion.
Last month, Ald. Anthony Beale approved a resolution directing the City Clerk to send the required communication to the Illinois Gaming Board, enabling the state to begin processing Chicago’s gambling-related applications.
Some have raised concerns about the potential social and public safety effects of expanding gambling, including issues related to addiction and burglaries.
Others have argued that the council has previously overridden the wishes of local aldermen in certain cases. “There was in fact precedent for the body to overrule the local alderman, citing the case of an affordable housing project in his ward that passed in 2022 through the council against his will with the support of Mayor Lori Lightfoot,” said Ald. Anthony Napolitano, Northwest Side Alderman (Chicago Tribune).
Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration has also weighed in on the issue, with members of her team arguing that legalized video gambling machines may generate less revenue than initially projected.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2026/03/13/118051-chicago-committee-blocks-wardlevel-bans-on-video-gambling-machinese
