Kane Co. leaders prep for video gambling showdown

Kane County Board members made it clear Wednesday they want clear and decisive action on the issue of video gambling when it comes up for a vote next week. And yet, several unanswered questions and ongoing tinkering with the state law might make ambiguity the only certainty in whatever the county board decides Tuesday.

Questions still swirled in the minds of the county board's Executive Committee Wednesday, even regarding what they should be voting on. Initially, the plan was to only vote on an ordinance banning video gambling in the county's unincorporated areas. But committee members said they also want the option to vote on an ordinance that clearly supports video gambling rather than just allowing it to exist by default.

"I think that our board is ready to make a decision one way or the other, and it should reflect that we've made that decision," board member Cathy Hurlbut said. "What we want to do is take decisive action. I think to do anything other than that is to wimp out on the whole situation."

State lawmakers are still fine-tuning the law, leading board members to have divergent views of exactly what banning video gambling would mean. Some board members said they feared approving a ban now may mean not being able to change their minds later when the state finally writes the final rules and regulations. Others said there's nothing in the law that prohibits the county from changing its vote at any point.

Another concern was the idea that a local ban means any establishment that currently has video gambling machines - for entertainment purposes only with no payouts - would have to get rid of the machines. But other county board members said their understanding is those machines are illegal now, while still other county board members thought the machines will stay legal no matter what.

County board attorney Ken Shepro said all those issues remain unclear the way the state law is currently written. All the uncertainty left county board Chairman Karen McConnaughay with one clear point: "This may not be the last time that you end up visiting this issue."

County Board members said they had no clue which way the majority of their colleagues are leaning heading into next week.

Mike Kenyon, chairman of the Kane County Republican Party, said he will vote to approve video gambling.

"As far as gambling goes you can go to any grocery store, liquor store or gas station and buy lottery tickets," Kenyon said. "You can go into Jewel (grocery store) and there's a machine that you can just pump money into all day long and get tickets out of it. So you're not going to stop gambling. I don't gamble. I won't use these machines. But if somebody else wants to use them, what's wrong with it?"