Accel Entertainment, Inc.

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of

the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

(Amendment No.)

March 19, 2026

Dear Accel Entertainment Stockholders:

You are cordially invited to attend the 2026 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Accel Entertainment, Inc. (the “Annual Meeting”), which will be held on Thursday, May 7, 2026, at 1:00 p.m., Central Time. We intend to hold our annual meeting virtually, and the meeting will be accessible on the following website: http://www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/ACEL2026.

It is important that you retain a copy of the control number found on the proxy card, voting instruction form or Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, as such number will be required for our stockholders to gain access to any meeting held solely by means of remote communication.

At the Annual Meeting, we will ask you to:

1. Elect to our Board the following nominees for terms expiring at our 2027 Annual Meeting of Stockholders: Karl Peterson, Kathleen Philips, Doris M. Robinson, Kenneth B. Rotman, Andrew Rubenstein and Bruce D. Wardinski (“Proposal 1”);

2. Approve, on a non-binding advisory basis, the compensation of our named executive officers (“Proposal 2”);

3. Ratify the appointment of Deloitte & Touche LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026 (“Proposal 3”); and

4. To consider such other business as may properly come before the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof.

Alongside our incumbent director nominees, the Board has nominated Bruce D. Wardinski for election to the Board. Mr. Wardinski brings extensive leadership experience in the hospitality and real estate sectors, including serving as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Playa Hotels & Resorts N.V. and holding board leadership roles at several public hotel real estate investment trusts. His background as a founder and CEO, combined with his financial and strategic expertise and extensive knowledge of the hospitality industry will add valuable perspective to our Board.

We have elected to provide access to the proxy materials over the internet, other than to those stockholders who requested a paper copy, under the Securities and Exchange Commission’s “notice and access” rules to reduce the environmental impact and cost of our Annual Meeting. However, if you would prefer to receive paper copies of our proxy materials, please follow the instructions included in the Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials.

Whether or not you attend the Annual Meeting, it is important that your shares be represented and voted at the meeting. Therefore, we urge you to promptly vote and submit your proxy via the internet, by telephone, or by mail, in accordance with the instructions included in the proxy materials.

On behalf of the board of directors, we would like to thank you for your continued interest and investment in Accel Entertainment, Inc.

Sincerely,

/s/ Andrew Rubenstein

Andrew Rubenstein

President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman

ACCEL ENTERTAINMENT, INC.

NOTICE OF 2026 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

By Order of the Board of Directors,

/s/ Scott Levin

Scott Levin

Chief Legal Officer and Secretary

This Notice of Annual Meeting and the accompanying proxy statement and form of proxy are being distributed and made available on or about March 19, 2026.

Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the StockholderMeeting to be held on May 7, 2026.The proxy statement and our 2025 Annual Report to Stockholders, which includes our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, are available at www.proxyvote.com and at www.accelentertainment.com on the “Investor Relations” page.

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