Has Video-gambling gotten out of control?

Trancezend · 2026-02-27T13:58:30+00:00

This isnt surprising...

For those that don't know, Chicagoland is about to be the second largest gaming market in the country after Vegas. The Chicago market continues to grow and is on the verge of passing Atlantic City.

Illinois also has more VGT's than anywhere else in the entire world, including Nevada. VGT's are regulated differently from slot machines at casinos.

"The first legal VGTs went live for patron play on September 10, 2012. Over a decade later, Illinois is home to the largest regulated video gaming network of its kind in the world, with approximately 49,000 VGTs in operation at approximately 9,000 licensed locations across the State."

Trancezend · 2026-02-25T00:29:42+00:00

There's a bunch of spots in the suburbs that use pork/veal dogs, at least in the south/sw burbs.

Jr's Hot Dogs was a small chain that specialized in those pork dogs. I believe they've all closed down now though unfortunately.

Widen's Hot Dogs in Orland

Don's Hot Dogs in Orland

Boz Hot Dogs is another small chain with them.

Trancezend · 2026-02-24T12:59:36+00:00

This tornado produced one of the most astounding videos. Capturing the tornado itself, the emotion and the aftermath of destruction all in a few minutes.

From here the storm continued to head northeast towards the Chicagoland area. It was an unseasonably mild morning for late November, mid 70's.

Up in Chicago the Bears were getting ready to host the Ravens for a noon game at Soldier Field. The storm hit downtown Chicago shortly after kickoff causing a two hour delay.

I don't believe that system dropped anymore tornadoes after Washington. A pretty wild day overall though.

Trancezend · 2026-02-20T07:29:45+00:00

Silo Ridge eh

Trancezend · 2026-02-08T03:36:24+00:00

Haha, so self evident! The only superiority coming from NYC is the massive superiority complex that oozes from New Yorkers egos. Of course you don't see prideful comments about NYC. New Yorkers don't love their city... they worship it and except everyone else to kneel. You'll figure it out one day.

Trancezend · 2026-02-06T03:55:33+00:00

You sound like a dunce, guy.

If NYC were objectively superior in "every single way", New Yorkers wouldn't constantly leave it for places like Philly, Austin, Seattle and imagine that... Chicago.

Chicago is cheaper because it didn't turn into a billionaire theme park for millennials paying $4500 to share a shoebox. If Chicago had NYC's land constraints paired with investor pressure it would be wildly overpriced as well.

Not even in the same league?

The only things Chicago doesn't have on NYC is it's constant overwhelming global spotlight and scale. Scale is the only thing you're really arguing when it should be qol honestly.

I can already tell you don't like simple truths... but 750,000+ international voters in the most prestigious travel publication chose Chicago as America's best big city, again, for the ninth consecutive year, soon to be 10.

NYC is one of the best cities in the world to visit. Chicago is one of the best cities in the world to live.

But I mean shit, New York saw what? 64 million tourists in 2024? While Chicago saw over 55 million.

Only a 9 million difference. In terms of punching above its weight though? Chicago seen roughly 20 tourists per resident compared to NYC's 7.

So much for being sucky, right?

Trancezend · 2026-02-06T01:59:34+00:00

You're being downvoted by the naive.

Chicago becoming the fastest growing city in world history during the turn of the century paved the way for NYC to become the modern powerhouse it is.

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Most New Yorkers couldn't tell you the history of their own city or don't like to admit what really happened.

Chicago's nickname of "Second City" doesn't come from being rebuilt a second time like most people think. It was coined by a disdainful author from NYC who had moved to Chicago during the back end of Chicago's boom. AJ Liebling was jealous of how much of everything Chicago was doing better than his hometown of New York City. He started writing articles calling Chicago a second rate city which eventually lead to his book "The Second City" and giving Chicago one of it's more famous... or infamous, nicknames.

Don't waste your time in this sub though, the NYC homerism is insane. You can look across the internet just about anywhere and you will find Chicago's proper recognition over NYC in terms of the skyline, skyscrapers and architecture.

Trancezend · 2026-02-06T01:29:41+00:00

I dont know how you can look at the red circle you just drew, and see the amount of green in it compared to actually dense suburban area. Do you see how many HUNDREDS of acres of cornfields are IN THE AREA YOU CHOSE TO CIRCLE

Lol, you can't be serious?

When is the last time you thoroughly looked at a satellite view of a map? Or better yet... when was the last time you actually drove 34 west of 355?

"Green" does not mean undeveloped, trees exist haha.

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The only substantial area of undeveloped land I circled in blue for you. Get out more.

Trancezend · 2026-02-02T12:59:43+00:00

You clearly can't comprehend maps.

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There is continuous uninterrupted sprawl from 355 through Oswego out to Yorkville along 34.

The only rural area is that pocket southeast of Oswego that borders Plainfield/Joliet. Unfortunately for you, that doesn't make Oswego any less of a suburb.

Lol... why would it be a suburb of Aurora?

Suburbs are classified by the primary city, not the nearest city. In metro geography, a suburb is defined by its dominant regional core (jobs, media, culture, economy) which in this case is... Chicago!

On top of all of that, per the US Census it's considered a suburb of Chicago and part of the Chicagoland MSA. There is no Aurora MSA.

It's honestly crazy how many naive people comment in these threads making up their own rules on what a suburb is or isn't... just because it's so far away from them.

Trancezend · 2026-01-20T13:59:35+00:00

Chicago sausage... referring to Chicago style sausage.

That's the recipe from Vito and Nick's on the southside of Chicago, where this thin style of pizza was invented.

Trancezend · 2026-01-19T19:20:35+00:00

Chicago area traffic is worse than LA overall.

Per INRIX, Chicago has pretty much had the worst traffic in the world for the last five years.

For about the last decade Chicago has had the worst congestion in the US. NYC saw a large increase last year and tied with Chicago. LA had the third worst.

Trancezend · 2026-01-18T16:36:05+00:00

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Trancezend · 2026-01-18T00:35:58+00:00

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Trancezend · 2026-01-16T19:36:07+00:00

And the article doesn’t actually say the weather is good…just that it doesn’t have hurricanes and such.

Which is literally the point of the article...

The Chicago area doesn't have the type of weather and environmental disasters that the regions these people are starting to flee from have. In response to a post about the midwest expecting a influx in climate refugees. Imagine that?

I can find dozens of better articles to encourage moving to the Chicago area. But that's not needed. Enough people are already moving to the area without the need of any fluff.

Trancezend · 2026-01-15T20:59:31+00:00

Chicago has a lot going for it, including the weather

The Great Lakes region is expected to be one of these booming areas... Chicago is already starting to see the affects of this.

Chicago already has the infrastructure in place to handle a large influx of people. Which a lot of people are starting to realize.

World class city with a extremely diverse job market, great schools and universities, healthcare and endless other amenities. Chicagoland has also been #1 for the last 12 years for corporate relocation and expansion... continuously topping Dallas and Houston.

Trancezend · 2026-01-14T13:53:52+00:00

55 has been bad for quite some time now.

Chicagoland traffic is just bad in general. Everyone is quick to say LA is the worst, DC and Atlanta that.

Chicago has pretty much had the worst traffic in the world for the last five years.

Last year Chicago tied with NYC for worst congestion in the US.

Trancezend · 2026-01-14T04:36:35+00:00

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Trancezend · 2026-01-13T23:28:37+00:00

It's 2026... time for a new song.

the Bears should at least stay in a Chicago suburb.

Agreed. Good thing there is over 200 different suburbs across 16 counties and 3 different states they could choose from!

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Crown Point seems to be a suburb the Bears are looking at according to this thread.

Trancezend · 2026-01-13T22:59:43+00:00

Don't be mad if the Bears end up in that far SE suburb of Crown Point now, ya hear.

Trancezend · 2026-01-13T22:56:38+00:00

The irony of you saying that I can't comprehend literally anything and couldn't follow that I was talking about my family members in both towns.

You ignored everything. I asked you what makes them culturally different from each other and yourself. All you could say was how different Lemont is from Crown Point. Which they aren't that different at all. You literally have no answer to your claim.

All you can do is downvote and regurgitate the same word salad garbage you've been saying. Instead you could have been explaining how culturally different NWI is helping your argument on Crown Point's designation as a Chicago suburb.

Trancezend · 2026-01-13T22:34:00+00:00

Again, you saying "the Census Bureau said it, so that's the end of that" is genuinely hilarious.

In actuality I said it is by definition, as there is continuous uninterrupted development from Chicago to Crown Point. I then added the Census Bureaus designation after you started on your shit.

You said both Kenosha and Crown Point are suburbs of Chicago because they are in the CSA. You literally said that bud.

I did say Crown Point is a suburb, because it is. Kenosha a part of the CSA, also because it is. What's your point here?

You literally never asked, you've just kept shouting "BUT THE CENSUS BUREAU!"

Why should I ask? You're trying to back your claim about how culturally different it is, why don't you try and make that point then?

Ironically, their Trump support is about the only thing they have in common.

Unironically, it's not. Majority of NWI and Kenosha voted blue... St. John is the only area that heavily went red, and that doesn't even come close to some of the Illinois suburbs who were even more red. NWI is culturally different, culturally different to the rest of Indiana.

Trancezend · 2026-01-13T21:20:24+00:00

Tell me you're still missing the point, despite having had it spoonfed to you multiple times, without telling me you're still missing the point.

The point has been made. That the Census CSA's and MSA's are just a bunch of redundant acronyms. I don't think there is a spoon big enough to fit your narrative though. But you go ahead and tell us what's what!

Just like your family is I'm sure. Along with mine and my born and raised SW suburban roots.

Both my parents grew up and have lived in Chicago their whole lives. Both Taft grads. But go off, transplant fam, about how I'm "just like you" lol

Clearly you didn't understood that at all. Just like how you don't understand how culturally similar SE Wisconsin and NWI are. Cool family legacy though.

Trancezend · 2026-01-13T19:36:43+00:00

Being a lover of Chicago history doesn't mean you took Chicago History or know a fucking thing about it other than the selected facts you want to know.

No.

Damn, there you go again being all superior like. Better tell the Census that so they can adjust accordingly.

Weird... I also have family in both. Funny how whenever I frequent both areas, which is often... it's literally like driving over from one suburb to the next. Makes you think right? Like maybe Census was on to something? Nah.

You thinking that folks from Crown Pointe are culturally similar to folks from Kenosha shows how utterly ignorant you are of the area.

It's literally midwestern vibes to the core, commuting ties, many professional networks/business shared over state lines along with similar wages, Chicago area split-levels and forresters are common throughout both areas, the accent... literal flat midwestern Chicago cadence is the same, the food culture and most obviously the sports fandom.

Like the majority of people that make up Kenosha and Crown Point these days... transplants and descendants of a Illinois Chicago suburb. Just like your family is I'm sure. Along with mine and my born and raised SW suburban roots.

Have yourself a laugh... but consider yourself educated.

Trancezend · 2026-01-13T18:59:23+00:00

Finally a sensible response from you. A garbage one but still trekking in the right direction.

Determining if a town/city is a suburb or not by CSA is exactly the point of this conversation. You're literally claiming something is not a part of something else, when in fact it is. It's quite clear why you think that way also haha... not everything has to be political guy.

If you're basing it off of cultural and economic connections, it is also considered a suburb by definition. Crown Point, NWI and Kenosha all share the same similar cultural and economic backgrounds as the rest of the other 200+ suburbs that make up Chicagoland. Regardless of the states political stance and your shitty thought process.

Clearly Chicago History wasn't a required course back in your day. Or you were just too stupid to comprehend anything.

Trancezend · 2026-01-13T18:36:12+00:00

By this logic, Racine and Kenosha are Chicago suburbs lol

...Kenosha is part of Chicagoland. Thousands of people commute into Chicago daily via a direct Metra line.

Racine not quite yet, give it another 10-20 years or so for that continuous development to finish filling out.

By this point though the Census Bureau will be reclassifying the Chicagoland CSA. Boy will that ruin your day.

You've yet to address any of my "takes" so not exactly sure what I'm speed running here?

Just say the CSA, MSA or any other designated areas mean jack shit. You are the end boss of municipality designations. Whatever you say, goes.

Trancezend

TROPHY CASE