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Northern Illinois

Video Gaming Terminals for Bars in Elgin, IL

The Illinois Gaming Board's September 2026 report lists 33 establishments in Elgin with video gaming terminals, 184 terminals in all. If you run a bar or restaurant in Elgin, here is what is on the public record and how Prairie State Gaming would work with you.

Talk to PSG about your Elgin locationCall (630) 870-3400
About the town

About Elgin

How Elgin came to be

Long before there was a town, the Potawatomi forded the Fox River here and fished its shallows. Hezekiah Gifford is said to have named the settlement Elgin after the Black Hawk War of 1833. By 1837 it had a bridge, a mill or two and a stop on the stagecoach road between Chicago and Galena. The Galena and Chicago Union Railroad arrived in 1849, and Elgin incorporated in 1854.

The river's waterpower turned Elgin into a factory town. The Elgin National Watch Company opened in 1864 to compete with the watchmakers of Waltham, Massachusetts, and occupied its plant from 1866 to 1966. It was the first watch factory west of the Alleghenies, it grew into the largest in the world, and it made more than 60 million watches. Gail Borden opened a condensed-milk plant in 1866, and the state hospital followed in 1872. In the 1920s interurban trains tied Elgin to the other Fox Valley towns, until the lines were torn out in the 1950s.

Elgin today

Elgin sits about 35 miles northwest of the Loop, and most of its growth now comes from the Interstate 90 corridor along its north side. The old downtown on the river has been redeveloped around the Grand Victoria Casino, and the watch factory's memory survives at Clock Tower Plaza, a block east of the Fox. Its observatory, built to keep time for the factory before national time standards existed, now serves the local school district as a planetarium.

The bar and restaurant scene

Downtown Elgin's bars and restaurants sit close to the river and the casino, with a crowd that changes from the lunch hour to late night. Out in the neighborhoods, the trade is corner taverns, Mexican restaurants, sports bars and family places, many of them run by the same owners for years. Along the newer corridors to the north and west, strip-center bars serve commuters coming off the tollway. The Gaming Board record on this page shows which Elgin locations hold video gaming licenses.

Sources

  1. Encyclopedia of Chicago — Elgin, IL (accessed November 6, 2026)
  2. Illinois State Historical Society — Elgin National Watch Company marker (accessed November 6, 2026)
Illinois Gaming Board record

Video gaming locations in Elgin

Establishments in Elgin on the Illinois Gaming Board's lists of video gaming licensees and applicants, with the status the Board shows.

Show all 39 Elgin locations
  • Elgin Lodge No.799, Loyal Order of Moose
    925 South McLean Blvd.
    Licensed by the Illinois Gaming Board · January 15, 2014
  • Elgin Public House
    217-219 E Chicago St
    Licensed by the Illinois Gaming Board · April 23, 2026
  • Elgin Riverside Club
    21 Lincoln Av
    Licensed by the Illinois Gaming Board · February 26, 2014
  • ELGIN SHELL
    2320 N Randall RD
    Licensed by the Illinois Gaming Board · June 11, 2020
  • Emily's Mexican Grill
    818 S McLean Blvd
    Licensed by the Illinois Gaming Board · April 25, 2024
  • FATSOZ
    959 Villa Street
    Licensed by the Illinois Gaming Board · November 21, 2013
  • GROTTO AT THE GROVE
    2300 N RANDALL RD SUITE D
    Licensed by the Illinois Gaming Board · July 20, 2016
  • Hooper's Sports Bar & Grill
    975 N. McLean Blvd.
    Licensed by the Illinois Gaming Board · January 15, 2014
  • Hoppe's Corner
    1075 N Liberty St
    Licensed by the Illinois Gaming Board · September 19, 2013
  • JIMMY'S CHARHOUSE
    2290 POINT BLVD
    Licensed by the Illinois Gaming Board · May 29, 2014
  • La Casa Del Pollo Asado
    221 National St.
    Application pending with the Illinois Gaming Board · August 23, 2026
  • MARISCOS EL CHARCO
    302 S. McLean Blvd Ste G
    Licensed by the Illinois Gaming Board · November 16, 2017
  • MORETTI'S
    2300 BUSHWOOD DR
    Licensed by the Illinois Gaming Board · June 15, 2023
  • MR.CESAR'S MEXICAN GRILL
    1188 N MCLEAN BLVD, Bldg 1188
    Licensed by the Illinois Gaming Board · April 24, 2025
  • Niko's Tavern Elgin
    3145 Rt 20 , suite #207
    Licensed by the Illinois Gaming Board · January 30, 2019
  • Oasis on 20
    3191 US HIGHWAY 20 UNIT C
    Licensed by the Illinois Gaming Board · June 13, 2018
  • Old Republic
    155 S. Randall Rd
    Licensed by the Illinois Gaming Board · August 2, 2018
  • Olde Towne Inn
    412 Bluff City Blvd
    Licensed by the Illinois Gaming Board · October 24, 2013
  • Owl's Athletic Club
    214 E. Chicago St.
    Licensed by the Illinois Gaming Board · April 30, 2014
  • Restaurant Camaroncito Loco
    21 North State Street
    Application pending with the Illinois Gaming Board · November 21, 2025
  • Rookies Sports Bar & Grill
    2486 Bushwood Dr
    Licensed by the Illinois Gaming Board · November 21, 2013
  • Sammy's Mexican Restaurant
    3091 Us Hwy 20 Unit 111
    Licensed by the Illinois Gaming Board · April 23, 2015
  • The Bottle Department
    46 South Spring Street
    Application pending with the Illinois Gaming Board · October 26, 2026
  • The Dive Bar
    109 E Highland
    Licensed by the Illinois Gaming Board · April 24, 2025
  • The PRIDE of Elgin
    1700 N State St
    Application pending with the Illinois Gaming Board · April 9, 2026
  • The Walnut Speakeasy
    214 Walnut Ave.
    Licensed by the Illinois Gaming Board · October 24, 2013
  • VILLAGE PIZZA AND PUB
    2496 N Randall Road
    Licensed by the Illinois Gaming Board · August 24, 2017
Same split, different service

How Prairie State Gaming helps in Elgin

Illinois law fixes how terminal income is shared between the operator and the establishment, and no operator may give a location anything to sign. What you choose is the team.

Talk to PSG about your Elgin locationRead PSG’s partner guide

Questions about the tax, licensing or what to expect? Read the owner FAQ.

Questions

Video gaming in Elgin: the short answers

Does the revenue split change from one terminal operator to another?

No. Illinois law splits terminal income after tax evenly between the terminal operator and the establishment, whatever an agreement says, and no operator may give a location anything of value to sign (230 ILCS 40/25(c)). Operators differ in service, not in the split.

How long does a video gaming use agreement last?

Illinois Gaming Board rules cap a use agreement at eight years and do not allow it to renew automatically (11 Ill. Adm. Code 1800.320). If your location already has terminals, your agreement states its own end date.

How many video gaming terminals may one establishment have?

Illinois law allows a licensed establishment up to six video gaming terminals (230 ILCS 40/25(e)). The limit is set by the state, not by the terminal operator.

Have a question about video gaming at your place?

Ask the people who would be supporting you.

Talk to PSGCall (630) 870-3400

Gambling problem? For free confidential help, call the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-GAMBLER. Must be 21+ to wager.