Darien Video Gambling Rises Again, With 13 Establishments Taking Part

DARIEN, IL – It's a good bet that Darien's video gambling is a growth industry.

In 2025, the city government collected $380,271 in taxes from video gambling machines. That's up from $350,201 the previous year, a 9 percent increase.

Darien's video gambling tax income has risen 73 percent since 2019, the year before the pandemic. Statewide, video gambling has more than doubled in that time.

Thirteen restaurants and bars in Darien have video gambling machines. The top five city tax generators in 2025 were Dotty's ($70,437), Stella's ($54,582), Zazzo's Pizza ($45,798), Darien VFW Post 2838 ($38,479) and Lietuvele restaurant ($35,596).

In Illinois, 5 percent of video gambling proceeds go to local governments.

Darien has used sources such as video gambling money to help keep its property tax levy the same for more than a dozen years since the gambling tax has been in place.

In 2023, a former Darien alderman who moved to Downers Grove said publicly that he regretted that Darien allowed video gambling, saying it hurt the city's reputation. Darien's mayor later criticized the former official's statement.

Many nearby suburbs do not allow video gambling. They include Burr Ridge, Hinsdale, Clarendon Hills, La Grange, Western Springs, Elmhurst and Downers Grove.

Here's what Darien collected in video gambling taxes over the last 13 years:

• 2025: $380,271
• 2024: $350,201
• 2023: $328,135
• 2022: $308,891
• 2021: $259,894
• 2020: $136,324
• 2019: $219,586
• 2018: $186,456
• 2017: $157,906
• 2016: $141,869
• 2015: $120,315
• 2014: $42,558
• 2013: $2,032

Source: Illinois Gaming Board