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News
Montgomery Board to discuss video gambling : News : Oswego Ledger-Sentinel : Hometown Newspaper for Oswego and Montgomery, IllinoisMontgomery Board to discuss video gambling
| Official cites local business interest, extra potential revenue for village
| by John Etheredge
| 8/9/2012
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Video gambling is not currently permitted in the Village of Montgomery, but that may change.
The village board is expected to discuss allowing video gambling during their next committee-of-the-whole meeting set for Tuesday, Aug. 21 at 7 p.m. The meeting will be held at village hall and is open to the public.
The board agreed to discuss video gambling at the request of board member Andy Kaczmarek.
Kaczmarek said the Montgomery VFW has expressed an interest in offering the machines to the organization's members.
He said he expects representative of the VFW will explain their position on the machines to the board during the Aug. 21 meeting.
Kaczmarek said he is hopeful the board will be able to vote on a motion to approve video gambling during their next regularly meeting set for Monday, Aug. 27.
Kaczmarek said he is not aware of other businesses in the village who may be interested in offering video gambling.
"But let's say a business like Poor Boys (on Montgomery Road) wants to have them (video gambling machines). If we approve it then people will be able to play the machines there instead of going to the casinos in Aurora or Joliet," he said, adding, "It would be extra revenue to the village as well."
Kaczmarek said he does not play video gambling machines but would personally favor allowing it in the village.
He said he is uncertain how much additional revenue the village would stand to gain if the board were to allow video gambling. However, he said he would support using the extra revenue to help pay for local road improvements and other infrastructure work.
The Illinois General Assembly passed legislation in 2009 allowing video gambling in local restaurants and bars and veterans organizations that are licensed to serve alcoholic beverages. State lawmakers approved the gambling expansion to provide additional revenues to finance a statewide capital improvement program.
Under the law, net revenues from the machines are to be taxed at 30 percent, with 25 percent going to the state and five percent to local municipalities.
The maximum payout on the machines is $500 and local business could offer a maximum of five machines.
If the board wants to allow video gambling, Jeff Zoephel, the village's acting administrator, said the board will have to pass an ordinance or resolution.
Zoephel said he believes two local businesses, licensed to serve alcoholic beverages, have expressed an interest in the machines.
"The issue becomes if we do allow it the businesses will be able to have only five machines (each)," he said. "Apparently the VFW, for example, has more than five machines and if they want the (gambling) machines the other machines would have to come out. Under the state law you can't keep some machines that pay and some that don't. That's a concern for some people."
Several area municipalities have chosen to allow video gambling, including Sugar Grove, Yorkville, North Aurora, Joliet and Geneva.
Municipalities that are continuing to prohibit video gambling include Oswego, Plano, Aurora, Batavia, Elburn, Naperville and St. Charles.
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