Before submitting an application for a City of Bloomington Video Gaming License, all applicants must comply with the following regulations, in addition to meeting any licensure requirements specified in Chapter 7, Section 122 of the Bloomington City Code:

• An Illinois State Video Gaming License must be issued and active;
• The establishment must have been conducting business at the location for at least 12 months (does not apply to the Replication of an Existing Business Model);
• The applicant must be in good standing with the State of Illinois and the City of Bloomington, including having no outstanding bills, taxes, or other violations; and
• The applicant has not had a video gaming license revoked within the past three years.

Limitation to the Number of City Licenses Permitted and Waitlist Information

• As of September 22, 2025, no more than seventy-five (75) Establishments may be licensed to operate video gaming terminals in the City at any given time. License applications are processed on a first come, first served basis.
  • As of December 21, 2020, if a video gaming license is unavailable, a qualified applicant who would have received a license if one was available, shall be placed on a waitlist*.

*Approved applications will be added to the waitlist in the order they were received. We encourage applicants to regularly check their waitlist status independently, as the City cannot predict when licenses will become available.

See Chapter 7, Section 126 of the Bloomington City Code for additional information.

Limitation to the Number of Terminals Permitted on Premises

• The City permits a maximum of five (5) video gaming terminals per licensed establishment*.

*Each license specifies the number of video gaming terminals permitted for the establishment. If an establishment wishes to change the number of approved terminals, they must submit a written request to the City via email at cityclerk@cityblm.org. The request must include (1) the establishment information as listed on their license; (2) the current number of terminals on the license; (3) the requested number of terminals; and (4) an updated floor plan that complies with the specifications outlined in Chapter 7, Section 123E of the City Code. The City will review the request and, if approved, update the account accordingly.

See Chapter 7, Section 127 of the Bloomington City Code for additional information.

Coming Soon

The following documents are required to be up-to-date and on file at all times during the license period, and must be included with your application submission:

• List of Owners, Partners, Officers, etc.
  • Must include the Name, Date of Birth, Address, Email Address, and Percent Owned for each
• Computer-Generated, Drawn-to-Scale, Floor Plan of the Establishment
  • Must meet all of the requirements detailed in § 7-304E relating to Application Requirements, which includes:
    • Overall layout of the establishment
    • Location and Count of Dining seating
    • Location and Count of Video Gaming Terminals (including Terminal Seating)
    • Other significant features, which should include:
      • Entrance & Exit Locations
      • Restrooms
      • Offices/Other Rooms; and
      • Other Equipment Locations.

Note: Hand-drawn floor plans and floor plans not including a scale will not be accepted.

• Proof of Establishment Operation Time (Must be at least 12 months) - N/A if applying to replicate another existing business mode
• Copy of IL Gaming Board Video Gaming License

The following documents/information may be required in order for a submission to be considered for review. Please do not attach documents to show proof of the items below. They are checked internally and you will be contacted if anything additional is required to be submitted.

• If the applicant is an LLC or a Corporation
  • Must be in Good Standing with the State of IL
• The applicant/property must not owe anything outstanding to the City of Bloomington
• • This includes tax amounts or forms of any type, utility billing amounts, legal fees, general billing amounts, or any amounts or reports due to the Development Services Department for Backflow Device testing or Cross-Connection Surveys.
• $250 Application Fee Paid - We do not take online payments at this time. The applicant will receive an email within two business days of submission. The email will have details on how to pay the fee. The fee must be paid by the deadline provided in the email in order to be considered for review. 

Note that in order for  a Video Gaming Application to be considered and remain active, if approved, the applicant's current liquor license and all required documents must be kept active and in good standing. Required documents include premises verification, bond, liquor liability insurance, and tax documentation.

Before license application review can begin, the applicant must pay the following non-refundable Application Fee:

Application Fee: $250

If approved, each entity is required to pay the following annual license fee per terminal based on the approved license type:

• Fraternal & Veteran's Organizations: $250 per Terminal
• All Other Licensees: $500 per Terminal

Note that the applicant will not receive an invoice to pay the licensee fee unless approved. Fees for Video Gaming Licenses are not subject to proration or refund.

The following have their own separate applications and associated one-time fees:

Location Change - This application is intended for current licensees that have relocated to a new address. Note that a location change will only be considered if the business ownership remains unchanged.

One-Time Fee: $250

Transfer - This application is intended for when a license would be transferred from a current licensee to a proposed licensee. Note that the license must be for the same establishment and location.

 One-Time Fee: $100

As of Monday, December 21, 2020 at 8:00 a.m., if a license is unavailable, an applicant may still submit a completed application with all necessary required documents. The application will be reviewed and if the applicant establishment would have qualified for a video gaming license if one was available, it will be placed on the Video Gaming Waitlist. Applications are reviewed on a first come first serve basis. For more information, please view Ord. No. 2020 - 85 Video Gaming Waitlist.

There are currently no businesses on the Video Gaming Waitlist.