Libertyville may fold on video gambling

Libertyville could join a growing list of communities that have chosen to ban video gambling before state rules are formulated.

An ordinance prohibiting video gambling is scheduled to be discussed by the village board during its regular meeting at 8 p.m. Tuesday. But a majority of the board appears to be ready to fold on the concept, as one of its committees and two other board members have voiced their opposition to the devices.

The recommendation of the board's finance committee is to ban video gambling. Officials say the return on the machines wouldn't be worth potential problems.

"This is not a substantial revenue stream," said Trustee Rich Moras, a member of the license and permits committee. "There's a section of the population where this is a tax on hope."

Twenty-six establishments in Libertyville have liquor licenses, making them eligible for the machines, which were legalized under a massive capital-improvement package approved by state lawmakers this summer. The machines are expected to bring in $367 million annually to help pay for infrastructure projects.

But village staff estimated that a maximum of 10 establishments and likely fewer would be interested in installing the devices.

Placing as many as five video gambling machines in each establishment with a liquor license would not create extraordinary problems for authorities, according to Police Chief Pat Carey. "In my opinion, we would not experience a dramatic or noticeable increase in crime if these were allowed," he reported last week to the committee.

Each machine could be expected to generate about $2,250 as the village's share of net income, according to Village Administrator Kevin Bowens. If 10 establishments installed the machines, Libertyville's share of the revenue would be about $114,000 each year.

Video gambling is one of the measures to raise money for a $31 billion public works program, signed into law in July by Gov. Pat Quinn. Some entities have been opting out or banning video gambling until the local entity expressly permits installation of the devices.

"The only reason they have this is to potentially raise money for the state. Personally, I'm not in favor of it," said Trustee Jay Justice, who chairs the committee. He and Moras voted to recommend to the full board it be prohibited. Committee member Donna Johnson was not present.

Mayor Terry Weppler and Trustee Nick Proepper, who sat in on the meeting, also were against the idea in Libertyville.

"Right now, we have to look at any revenue source we can but I don't see this as a revenue generator," Weppler said. "No matter what the guidelines are from the state, we see no reason to allow it."

If a majority of the village board agrees, an ordinance making it official would be up for a vote at the Oct. 13 meeting.

While there is no pressure to act quickly, it couldn't hurt to alert the state that the video gambling portion of the revenue plan is becoming a hard sell.

"The sooner they know that the better so they can come up with Plan B," Bowens said.