Most of what has to happen before a terminal runs in a Chicago bar is the owner's paperwork and planning, and none of it depends on a date. Section numbers were checked on November 5, 2026; this is not legal advice.
Start with the liquor license you hold
The Video Gaming Act licenses establishments where liquor is "drawn, poured, mixed, or otherwise served for consumption on the premises" (230 ILCS 40/5). On November 5, 2026, the video gaming page of the City's Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) said a location must hold an active Tavern or Consumption on Premises – Incidental Activity liquor license and that package-goods licensees cannot apply (BACP).
So pull your City liquor license: confirm the class, that it is current, and that the premises address and owners on it match what you would file.
The state application and the background check
The Illinois Gaming Board licenses each terminal before it is placed or operated (230 ILCS 40/35); the location applies through the Board's Location License Web Application (IGB forms), linked from its Video Gaming page. The Board's FAQ says every direct owner of the applicant must sign a release and be fingerprinted at one of three approved vendors, right after filing, not before (IGB FAQ).
Gather the documents showing who owns what share of the business, the liquor license, and a floor plan of the gaming area. The Board sets its own pace, and this site does not estimate it.
Plan the room
A bar or restaurant may operate up to six terminals (230 ILCS 40/25(e)), played only during the legal hours for serving alcohol there (35(b)) and never by anyone under 21, with a fine up to $5,000 for a licensee who knowingly permits it (Section 40). So placement starts with sightlines: a spot staff can see from the bar, with power and network.
The Board's inducement rule draws the line for every operator (11 Ill. Adm. Code 1800.350). Subsection (b) lists the specific goods and services an operator may provide without it counting as an inducement, and subsection (c) expressly prohibits others, including permanent construction and food and beverage. For the items needed to make terminals operable, the cost of that service and hardware, other than the gaming equipment itself, is capped at $2,500 unless the Board's Administrator approves more in writing first. Read the rule, or ask the Board, before you rely on anything an operator says it can pay for.
Choose an operator on service, then read the paper
Two things no operator can change. After tax, 50% of a terminal's profits goes to the operator and 50% to the establishment, "notwithstanding any agreement to the contrary," and no operator may give a location anything of value to win its business; the statute's examples are lending money and arranging credit, and the penalty is a Class 4 felony, with the Board able to terminate the license (25(c)). So the split is fixed; the people are not.
Terminals are placed under a written use agreement (25(e)). The Board's minimum standards cap it at eight years, bar any clause that renews it automatically if no one cancels, and require a statement that no inducement was offered or accepted. If the location is licensed, the first use agreement signed controls over any later one, and an agreement is void if the location does not apply for a license within one year of signing (11 Ill. Adm. Code 1800.320). Read the term, the renewal clause and the exit before you sign, and read the date and the video gaming language in any contract an amusement company already holds on you.
A Prairie State Gaming partnership, in PSG's own words, includes a licensing team that explains the application process and coordinates the information and steps needed to move forward; help evaluating the space, equipment options and layout so the gaming area fits the location and feels comfortable for guests; a dedicated Account Manager who knows the location, its priorities and goals, one consistent point of contact; and local service teams with around-the-clock support to address equipment issues and keep the gaming operation running. Player promotions run through Red Carpet Rewards, which PSG supports.
What this means for a Chicago bar owner
- Your City liquor license is current, and you know its class.
- Ownership documents, the liquor license and a floor plan are in hand; every direct owner is ready to be fingerprinted.
- The room is measured for up to six terminals, with sightlines, hours and the 21-and-over rule in mind.
- Any existing amusement or gaming contract has been read for term, renewal and video gaming language.
- Your licensing questions have been answered.
Two licenses, in a fixed order: the state's from the Illinois Gaming Board under the Act, then the City's from BACP under Chapter 4-155 of the Municipal Code; BACP's page, read November 5, 2026, says the state license comes first (BACP). Where the City's licensing stands today is in the dated status box on this site, not here; this post promises no date. Ready to walk the list? Talk to PSG.