Online and Physical Sweeps Games In Trouble?
Right now in Chicago, there are physical sweepstakes gaming kiosks. However, Alderman William Hall, who represents Ward 6, has gone on the record in the past as wanting to ban these machines from locations such as restaurants, bars, and other venues. He also wrote a piece in the Chicago Sun-Times, in which he stated he wanted to eventually tax and regulate them for additional revenue.
These types of machines were deemed illegal, but given the sweepstakes angle, they're neither legal nor unlawful. These machines often award coupons or other non-cash rewards.
Hall followed up his piece in the Chicago Sun-Times, saying the following at a city council meeting in December:
“We’ve seen illegal gambling houses infiltrated by criminals, and we don’t want Chicago to [experience] the next wave of crime through illegal gambling machines. So this is both preventive and protective of our residents, preventive of future crimes and preventive of illegal operations.”
A Sweeps Ban Bill Was Filed in 2025
In February 2025, Sen. William Cunningham filed Senate Bill 1705, a bill to ban sweepstakes casinos. This would have also forbidden physical machines.
His definition of a gambling device read:
“[A]ny vending or other electronic machine or device, including, without limitation, a machine or device that awards credits and contains a circuit, meter, or switch capable of removing and recording the removal of credits that offers a person entry into any contest, competition, sweepstakes, scheme, plan, or other selection process that involves or is dependent upon an element of chance for which the person may receive a gift, award, or other item or service of value if that offer is incidental to or results from: (A) the purchase of an item or service of value; or (B) the purchase or gratuitous receipt of a coupon, voucher, certificate, or other similar credit that can be redeemed for or applied towards an item or service of value from such machine or device or elsewhere.”
That bill went nowhere, however. The reporting deadline came in April, and there was no interest or momentum.
However, that came before bans in states like Montana, California, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, now, we're seeing headway on bills in Maine, Florida, Indiana, and potentially Massachusetts.
Reminiscent of Moves In Tennessee?
This saga feels reminiscent of Tennessee during the latter portion of 2025. There, several sweepstakes casinos began leaving the state without any official notice. Eventually, their Attorney General said they had sent cease-and-desist notices to about 40 operators.
That appears to be what's happening here in Illinois, but that's speculation.
Illinois is the sixth-largest state by population. It would become the third state in the top six to ban sweepstakes casinos, though California (first) and New York (fourth) already have official bans.
Not only that, but Florida (second) appears headed for a ban as well.
The sweepstakes casino industry could be in massive trouble.
