Inside Gaming: These airports could soon join Las Vegas in offering slot machines

Chicago’s two major airports are gearing up to become the third and fourth U.S. airports to offer slot machines.

Legislation approved in 2019 for a first-ever Chicago casino also allows slot machines to be placed at the city’s O’Hare International Airport and Midway Airport.

Currently, the only U.S. airports with slot machines are Harry Reid International in Las Vegas and Reno-Tahoe International in Reno.

South Point Hotel-Casino owner Michael Gaughan is the Reid International vendor and in 2022, he announced that airport slots had generated $1 billion in revenue in the 36 years he had held the concession.

It’s unclear when O’Hare and Midway could get slot machines. The concession there is owned by Bally’s Corp., the company building a $2 billion integrated resort in the city.

A new push to develop airport slot machines was renewed earlier this month when Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson suggested implementing a 10.25 percent city tax on Illinois sports bets placed within the city limits to confront a $1.15 billion budget shortfall. When state lawmakers rejected that plan, attention turned to placing slot machines in the two airports, which are allowed as long as they are placed beyond Transportation Security Administration checkpoints.

Former Mayor Lori Lightfoot opted not to pursue airport slots, but the budget shortfall and the state’s rejection of a city tax on sports bets could lead to Johnson wanting to add them.

Arizona betting

The Arizona Department of Gaming has reported a 23 percent increase in sports wagering in the state in August compared with a year ago.

The nearest state to Nevada offering sports bets reported Arizona bettors wagered $610.7 million on retail and mobile sports wagering that month, with the state collecting $4.1 million in fees.

Arizona’s largest vendor for the month was FanDuel, grossing $178.5 million from bets. FanDuel is not licensed in Nevada.

In Arizona, operators pay an 8 percent fee on retail wagers and 10 percent on mobile bets to the state.

Macao visitation

Macao reported 29.7 million visitors for the first three quarters of 2025, a 14.5 percent increase over the same period a year ago, according to the region’s Statistics and Census Service.

The region’s corresponding gaming revenue during that time frame is up 7.1 percent to $22.6 billion (U.S.), according to Macao’s Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau.

Nevada’s third-quarter gaming win and visitation statistics are expected to be reported by the Nevada Gaming Control Board and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority this week.

In a move similar to Las Vegas’ tourism strategy, Macao’s resort industry is focusing on growing its entertainment and sports offerings to attract visitors. The region recently hosted exhibition National Basketball Association games to an arena in Macao.

Mainland China visitors dominated arrivals in Macao, up 18.4 percent to an estimated 21.6 million.

International visitation totaled 1.9 million with most of its arrivals coming from the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.

Boyd’s 3Q reflects ‘ongoing risks’ from slower Vegas destination travel

A financial analyst said weakness in destination travel continues to be a risk factor for Boyd Gaming Corp., noting that the Las Vegas-based company’s third-quarter EBITDAR declined 4 percent year over year due entirely to softer performance at The Orleans Hotel and Casino, a property more reliant on out-of-town visitors than the rest of Boyd’s portfolio.

While gaming (+2.6 percent) and beverage (+3.9 percent) revenue each rose modestly during the quarter, hotel room revenue fell about 10 percent.

Kyle Owusu, senior credit analyst with Octus, said that although The Orleans was most affected, Boyd’s downtown and Las Vegas locals casinos have also felt the effects of weaker tourism. Because visitor volumes in Downtown Las Vegas closely track those on the Strip, the broader pullback in tourism that has hurt Strip casinos is similarly weighing on downtown traffic, he said.

Still, Owusu noted Boyd’s 90-day booking trends for its downtown and locals properties have improved compared with three months ago.

Contact David Danzis at ddanzis@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0378. Follow @AC2Vegas_Danzis on X.

Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on X.