<p>Mayor Brandon Johnson scored a rare City Council victory on Wednesday when his allies snuffed out an attempt to ban sweepstakes machines that compete with and take revenue away from video gambling terminals.</p><p>Ald. Anthony Beale (9th) muscled the sweepstakes ban through <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2026/05/05/chicago-city-council-license-committee-sweepstakes-machine-ban" >the Council’s License Committee</a> over the mayor’s objections and hoped to convince the full Council to do the same — even as Johnson continues to lobby behind the scenes to<a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2026/06/11/mayor-brandon-johnson-repeal-video-gambling-bid-chicago" > repeal the ordinance</a> lifting the city's ban on video gambling terminals.</p><p>But Beale came up with the legislative equivalent of snake eyes. The vote was 33 to 15 to defeat the ban and allow roughly 7,000 sweepstakes machines to continue operating.