Itasca seeks feedback on video gaming plans

Before they make a decision on whether to ban or allow video gambling machines in Itasca, village trustees want feedback from residents and businesses.

The Itasca Village Board met Tuesday to begin discussing the measure, which could bring Itasca approximately $150,000 in state-mandated revenue taken from the machines' profits, officials said.

Thirteen locations holding liquor licenses in the village, including restaurants, bars and the Itasca Country Club, would be eligible to install up to five machines each.

"Tonight is very preliminary, to get the discussion going, get informed about the issue and pass the information," said Village President Jeff Pruyn. "The best thing we can do is think of ways to reach out to the community, because I think it would be good to get their input on this."

In Illinois, video gambling is allowed under a massive capital improvement package approved in July by Gov. Pat Quinn. The machines are expected to bring in $367 million annually to help pay for infrastructure projects.

Itasca officials also are aware they could bring extra revenue in a troubled economy. But several wonder if the cons outweigh the pros.

Trustee Ellen Leahy asked Itasca Police Chief Scott Heher if his department would need to hire extra officers to deal with a possible rise in crime, which she argued could eat up most of the revenue gains.

Saying he could not predict hiring needs, Heher added, "Gambling can become a type of addiction and sometimes people resort to crime to feed their addiction."

"There are a great many negative social impacts associated with gambling, that's well documented and we need to take a look at how that will impact the community," he said.

To find out where residents stand, village officials plan to solicit their input in the October edition of the village newsletter. They may also allow residents to submit feedback on itasca.com, and are considering holding a forum to talk with business owners.

In addition, Pruyn and Village Administrator David Williams said they would like to learn where nearby communities like Elk Grove, Wood Dale, Roselle and Addison stand.

After gathering feedback and doing more research, officials said they plan to revisit video gambling during a November meeting.

"No matter which way we're going to decide, we are going to upset people," Pruyn said.