Critics urge mayors to just say 'No' to video gambling

As state regulators start the long process of setting up video gambling in bars and restaurants, organizations opposed to gambling expansion are urging local mayors to ban the machines.

"Once this is in your community, you can't stop it," warns Anita Bedell, director of the Illinois Church Action on Alcohol & Addiction Problems.

Under the law signed by Gov. Pat Quinn, a city council or county board can vote to ban video gambling machines within their jurisdiction.

However, if they do not ban the machines, it appears they can't implement any rules on how the machines are operated or used.

All regulation of the machines, aside from a local fee per machine, is overseen by the Illinois Gaming Board, which could take more than a year to set up a policy and procedures.

The Daily Herald reported earlier this year that at least 13 mayors in the West, North and Northwest suburbs have reservations about allowing video gambling in their towns. They fear the spread of gambling addiction with slotlike machines in numerous establishments that serve liquor and they are also concerned about having to increase police patrols of those facilities.

So far, though, no suburb has voted to ban the machines under the new state law. Existing bans may be on the books, but it is not clear those would be enforceable under the new legalization.

If a municipality rejects video gambling machines, it also will be giving up a 5 percent take on the gamblers' losses, which could amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.

Bedell and her organization are now sending letters to mayors across the state urging them to ban the machines. The letters argue the machines are the "crack cocaine" of gambling and will create far more harm than good.

"We decided this would be a good way to educate them about what is going on and the problems with it," Bedell said.

The law signed by Quinn earlier this month allows all businesses holding a liquor-serving license, truck stops and fraternal clubs to have up to five video gambling machines. The legislation is expected to spur 45,000 machines across the state, more than four times as many as are now in the state's nine casinos. Those machines could draw about $400 million to help support a $31 billion public works package for road, school and transit projects.