Mundelein weighing moratorium on video gambling

More than a year after Illinois lawmakers legalized video gambling in the state, Mundelein officials are weighing a local moratorium.

Unlike the municipal and county boards that have banned gambling in their communities following the July 2009 legalization, Mundelein officials are developing a plan that would prohibit the activity only until the Illinois Gaming Board draws up its long-promised rules.

“The state doesn't have everything finalized yet, Trustee Ray Semple said Monday night before a public discussion of the matter. “And until the state has everything finalized, it's best to keep the status quo.

Village administrators presented such a moratorium to the board for a vote Monday, but the panel delayed a decision so staffers could add a clause to the proposal: a time limit that would force the board to revisit the matter within 180 days of the gaming board's finalization of those rules.

Trustee Robin Meier had proposed the addition, and the other board members agreed it was a good idea. The matter could come before the board again at its next meeting in two weeks.

Under the 2009 state law, video gambling is allowed in licensed bars, restaurants, fraternal organizations and truck stops. It was designed to help fund statewide public works improvements.

Village and county boards don't have to vote to legalize such gambling, but they do have to vote to ban it. Many suburban governments have taken that step, including those in Hawthorn Woods, Libertyville and Kildeer and the Lake County Board. Communities banning gambling still will benefit from the revenue it generates elsewhere in the state.

Mundelein trustees have supported legal gambling operations before. A plan to open an off-track betting facility was considered a few years ago, but it ultimately faded.