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Health & Fitness

Gambling Once Again an Issue in Rolling Meadows

Not since 1992 has a gambling plan been floated in Rolling Meadows. Back in 1992 it was a proposal to turn a piece of city property into an Indian reservation to construct a casino. Despite a resounding defeat in a referendum, the city council still proceeded to strike a deal with the Chippewa only to be denied when then Illinois Governor Edgar refused to sign off. Today the proposal is to overturn the city's long standing gambling prohibition to allow video gambling at each of the city's liquor license holders.

At the city council's Committee of the Whole meeting on January 21 6th ward alderman John D'Astice floated the idea for video gambling, as reported in the Journal Topics (http://www.journal-topics.com/news/article_03c7e786-839a-11e3-b72a-001a4bcf6878.html). At the meeting, D'Astice stated "Timing is critical and we should move ahead without delay and before our neighboring communities realize the financial possibilities that exist." However, Palatine had rejected the idea of video gambling in 2012 and has not since garnered any support among its village board since then.

Despite the near absence of coverage of the issue in the press, two persons who were attending the Committee of the Whole on January 21 voiced their objections to the idea. Resident Glenn Taras made a passionate appeal to the city council as can be read in the official minutes (http://www.ci.rolling-meadows.il.us/citycouncil/PDFs/2014%20COW%20Minutes/012114%20COW%20Minutes.pdf). Kathy Gilroy also spoke out against the proposal.

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Video gambling is permitted by the Video Gaming Act but only if the municipality permits it. If a municipality does permit it then the control for video gaming licenses as well as any regulation of video gambling moves to the state's Gaming Board. Holders of a valid liquor license can then apply to the Illinois Gaming Board for a license to have up to five video gambling terminals. The municipality would then be eligible to receive five cents of every dollar lost from the gambling terminals. Many critics question whether the costs of video gambling exceed the benefit considering that the gambling losses mean less money spent at other establishments in town and 5% of those losses as a benefit to the town hardly seems worth the negatives gambling brings. One of those negatives is the sheer amount of "in your face" advertising that each establishment offering gambling is sure to do.

On the matter of regulation, a committee of lawmakers that included perpetual gambling promoter Rep. Louis Lange torpedoed a bill that would have closed a loophole in the video gaming regulations. This loophole had permitted certain unsavory persons to have an indirect involvement in video gambling in Illinois.who would otherwise be barred from having a direct involvement. A full accounting of the bill proposed by the head of the Gaming Board Aaron Jaffe and the actions to kill it by this committee can be read here: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2014-01-15/news/ct-video-poker-reform-rejected-met-20140115_1_video-gambling-nicky-nichols-aaron-jaffe Mr. Jaffee is now left with the prospect of trying to present his proposal directly to the Illinois legislature. Until this occurs it may be wise for Rolling Meadows to hold off on any vote to allow video gambling.

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According to Mayor Rooney the proposal will be brought back to the city council at the March 11 meeting for a first reading. It is then expected that a final vote may be taken at the March 25 meeting. Residents are encouraged to attend one of the city council meetings to voice their opinion. The next meeting is Tuesday February 25. Each meeting begins at 7:30 PM on the second floor of City Hall located at 3600 Kirchoff Rd.  

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