Editor
Illinois’ video gaming terminal (VGT) burglary problem is accelerating, with new records showing more than 500 break-ins at these establishments statewide in the first six months of 2026.
That’s the backdrop against which Chicago is weighing whether to finally let VGTs operate within city limits, with the release of the figures coming at an awkward time for supporters of expansion.
The Illinois Gaming Board released the 2025 full-year totals in January, showing 473 burglaries, up significantly from 358 in 2024. Thieves stole approximately $2.7 million. Five months later, 2026 has already eclipsed the previous full-year numbers.
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Gaming Terminals Can Be Lucrative Burglary Targets
According to Illinois Gaming Board numbers provided to the Chicago Sun-Times in response to a request, the state’s video gambling burglary count reached 502 as of June 22, affecting 100+ municipalities. Thieves walked away with at least $10,000 in almost 50 of these heists, with the total haul reaching $1.5 million by mid-June.
The frequency of the burglaries is escalating as crews continue to hit locations. June 2 alone saw 10 separate burglaries spread across Alsip, Beecher, Chicago Heights, Chicago Ridge, Cicero, Crete, Monee, Tinley Park, and twice in Niles. A gaming cafe operator whose suburban business was hit by burglars in May described burglary crews hitting four or five locations every night.
Cicero is a hot spot, logging more than two dozen burglaries in the first half of 2026, with neighboring Berwyn close behind at about 20. The method remains largely the same, with crews smashing through doors or windows after establishments close. They either remove gaming terminals, ATMs, and redemption kiosks after entry or try to crack them open on-site to steal the cash.
These incidents only last a few minutes, which makes it hard for police to respond in time. Operators are upping their security protocols, including installing drop-down metal shields and other hardening measures.
Are Burglaries Relevant to Chicago’s VGT Decision
Video gambling has operated legally in Illinois suburbs and downstate communities since the early 2010s. Chicago has held out, but the city finally relaxed the ban on VGTs as part of its 2026 budget.
The Illinois Gaming Board reports 282 pending Chicago license applications as of mid-June, with six locations already approved but not yet opened. The board says that none can go live yet until the city finishes its own licensing and approval process.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has been openly opposed to VGT expansion from the start, and this year’s crime data gives this stance a statistical backbone.
A mayoral spokesperson said that the administration’s concerns about legalizing these devices citywide and the ensuing public safety risks remain unchanged. They said that the rising burglary and violence numbers at suburban locations only sharpen these worries.
Chicago is a city already contending with strained police resources and a new category of burglaries would add to this workload, especially as the target list could run into the thousands if VGTs spread the way the industry estimates suggest.
The Bally’s Casino Consideration
There’s also the matter of the city’s first-ever land-based casino, which is still under construction. Those who oppose VGTs in Chicago say that they’ll be competing for the same discretionary dollars as the Bally’s casino.
Even from a security perspective, a casino floor is a single, controlled environment full of cameras. Operators have on-site security, cash-handling protocols and vaulted money there. By contrast, a VGT location is usually a small bar, cafe or convenience store with a handful of terminals, minimal overnight staffing and a cash box that becomes an easy target after burglars breach the doors.
The IGB has even been clear that it isn’t a security provider, so each licensee has to take responsibility for security. Board administrator Marcus Fruchter said that the agency works with state and local police, state attorneys and the Illinois attorney general’s office on prosecutions, which is all enforcement after the fact.
The new burglary figures won’t guarantee that Chicago completely walks away from VGTs, as the licensing pipeline is already progressing and the city has the statutory authority to proceed once it wraps up its own approval process.
However, the burglary numbers give Mayor Johnson’s administration and any undecided aldermen a concrete data point to refer to during negotiations. If the current 2026 trajectory continues, Illinois could very well see more than 1,000 VGT burglaries by the end of the year.
