With Window Closing, More Illinois Towns Ban Video Gambling

There has been a major debate taking place throughout the state of Illinois over a controversial new law that will allow video gambling machines in bars, clubs, businesses, and fraternal organizations in the state. Lawmakers, however, did give individual cities and villages a way out.

A ninety day grace period was given for cities and villages to review whether or not they wanted the video gambling machines in their jurisdictions. The cities had ninety days to ban the machines and be exempt from the new law.

On Tuesday, Elburn joined the growing list of communities that have banned the machines. The village board voted 4-2 in favor of the ban. Tuesday's vote does not signal the end of video gambling in Elburn. Any establishments that offer the machines can continue to do so if they are played for entertainment purposes only.

The original idea of lawmakers was to give gaming regulators in the state only three months to figure out how they were going to police the gambling activity. That time frame now looks unrealistic, with gaming officials claiming that it may take up to a year and a half to come up with that plan.

"What state lawmakers have been finding out in the past month is that there are plenty of community leaders who do not want this type of gambling entering their cities," said observer Jack Watson, "These communities may end up regretting that stance when they begin to see the amount of revenue that other cities are generating from the video gambling machines."

The legislature in Illinois was faced with a similar dilemma to the one that other states are experiencing. Lawmakers do not want to raise taxes at a time of economic crisis, and gambling expansion has become the number one combatant to raising taxes. It has raised a moral conflict of interest for many states that have been conservative by nature in the past.

September 9, 2009
Posted By Tom Jones
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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