DuPage's Schillerstrom urges towns to pass on video gambling

Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Schillerstrom is urging leaders in Illinois cities and counties to reject video gambling machines.

However, he doesn't believe communities that do pass on the devices should be denied any infrastructure dollars video gambling helps generate.

"I don't think that's fair at all," he said. "The revenue (the state) expects to get from video poker is at best speculative because local governments can opt out, and there is tremendous need for those public works dollars all over the state."

Schillerstrom currently serves as DuPage County Board chairman and supports county board member Brien Sheahan's initiative to ban the devices at establishments in unincorporated parts of the county. Schillerstrom's video gambling position is not really that unique among the pool of five GOP gubernatorial candidates, though. The three state senators also in the race oppose use of the machines as does conservative radio commentator and fellow candidate Dan Proft.

"The idea that video gambling is going to be the dedicated revenue stream to fund our infrastructure is idiotic," Proft said. "It's a scam, just like the Illinois lottery is used to fund education is a scam."

State officials estimate video gambling machines placed at bars and restaurants around the state could generate $400 million annually, which would be used to help fund a $31 billion public works package. Additional dollars from expanding the lottery online and increased alcohol taxes are also part of the public works fund. Municipalities that allow video gambling machines would also receive a share of the machines' take.

State Sens. Kirk Dillard of Hinsdale, Matt Murphy of Palatine and Bill Brady of Bloomington also oppose video gambling. Both Brady and Murphy voted against the measure that allowed expansion of the machines into bars and restaurants in May. Dillard, however, voted in favor of the bill and only recently changed his tune.

"I had a gun to my head," he told the Daily Herald editorial board last week when explaining his May vote was cast to keep a promise to labor unions and business groups that supported the public works package.

Murphy said he is troubled by the idea of expanding gambling operations to places that don't have it currently.

"I don't really like the video poker," Murphy said. "It is a little easy. The casino - you have to get up and go to and there is only nine of them. At the bar at the end of the street it is a little easy. From that standpoint, it makes me uneasy for sure."

Schillerstrom said he would close the budget gap created by the loss of video gambling revenue by expanding gambling at places where it already exists, such as casinos and horse racing tracks. He also supports adding a casino in Chicago. He is concerned about the impact the machines will have on communities.

"It's the social ills," Schillerstrom said. "If you look at the long-term issues that come out of this, there are people who never had problems with gambling who will because it's going to make it so much easier for them to go gamble. The impact on families will be substantial."

Wheaton resident Proft said cutting "pork" out of the public works package is a way to close the revenue gap created by eliminating the expansion of video gambling machines. He said the state could save $400 million by cutting funding for a high-speed rail project linking St. Louis and Chicago, which he called a "boondoggle." He also suggested selling off the Illinois Lottery, which he claimed could net the state as much as $10 billion.

"There's no sense of prioritization of spending," he said. "If I were governor I'd push to roll back the legalization."