The Village of Mahomet Board of Trustees voted to lift the ban on video gambling in Mahomet with a 4-2 vote Tuesday night.
Trustees Vicki Cook and Don Lynn voted against the measure.
Video gambling has been illegal within Village limits since 2009 when the Trustees voted to see how video gambling affected other communities when the State of Illinois voted to legalize the use of Video Gaming Terminals in liquor licensed establishments, truck stops, veteran and certain fraternal organizations throughout the state. At that time, they also gave municipalities the option to opt-out.
Upon multiple requests from restaurant owners, Rich Minnick at the Main Street Wingery and Justin Taylor at JT Walker’s, the Village Board of Trustees looked at the ordinance that banned the use of the terminals within the Village limits over the last two years.
The restaurant owners, who claimed to lose patrons to surrounding communities with businesses that offer video gambling, wanted a level playing field. Although video gambling was banned within Village limits, establishments outside Village limits, including It’ll Do located on Lake of the Woods Road and Lake of the Woods Bar on Prairieview Road, still hosted video gaming machines for their customers.
After years of listening to the restaurant owners make their case for video gambling within Village limits, and hearing concerns from many residents who talked about the effects gambling has on individuals, families and the community as a whole, Mayor Sean Widener asked the board to come to a conclusion at the end of the summer so that the issue could be laid to rest.
During last Tuesday’s study session where the Village staff proposed restrictions to the liquor license ordinance to prevent video cafes, Village Administrator Patrick Brown also showed the board how lifting the ban could bring additional funds and open up opportunities for annexation.
Brown told the board that this could bring an additional $230,000 to $360,000 per year to the Village. He also said the Village has been approached by businesses, including the likes of a truckstop and travel center, which were interested in establishing a facility on the east side of town, but wanted to make sure video gambling was legal within Village limits.
With the hope of additional funds coming into the Village, Trustees Bill Oliger and Brian Metzger followed the sentiments of Bruce Colravy, who said he was personally opposed to video gambling, but has realized the benefits the Village may see in lifting the ban.
Colravy pointed out that while opponents talked about how 60-percent of the funds would leave the Mahomet community as money is spent on video gambling, 100-percent of the funds leave the community when it is not allowed within Village limits.
Because the ban on video gambling would restrict the land the Village can annex alongside potentially stunt commercial growth throughout the Village, Colravy, along with Oliger and Metzger, felt a vote for the ordinance would benefit the community as a whole.
Lynn, who voted against lifting the ban, said while there may be financial benefits for businesses and the Village immediately, the growing amount of gaming machines located throughout the county will eventually equalize those benefits over time. Cook, who also voted against the ordinance, inquired about lease agreements and terms associated with a business owner putting the machines in their establishment.
Although opponents have voiced concerns over the last two years, a few residents took to the podium to reiterate their position. Ludwig asked the board to consider a non-binding referendum to see what the public thinks about the ordinance.
Fran Street inquired about how the ordinance could be overturned in the future if the Village decided the machines were not producing the outcome they desired. With previous discussion on how the law could not be resected once put into place, Brown said a public, binding referendum is the only way the ordinance could be changed once it had been lifted.
Sandra Cusack-Hastings said she has not spoken about lifting the ban before Tuesday night’s meeting because while video gambling is not something she wants her children around, her family could make choices to eat at other restaurants. Cusack-Hastings did speak Tuesday night, though, because talk of a truckstop or travel center concerns her.
“This has long-term implications,” she said. “By allowing video gambling they are opening the door to a lot of other activities people with families will not enjoy.”
Instead, she hoped the Village would continue the ban and look to bring in businesses with higher paying jobs, which might attract people who want to help out in the community.
In a statement made to the public, Mayor Sean Widener said lifting the ordinance is about growth in the Mahomet community. With widespread residential growth that the Village does not have to do much to attract, Widener said a focus on commercial growth will also benefit the community by diversifying the tax base.
Without lifting the ban, Widener warned the Village was sending a constructive message to businesses, which may in turn affect the value of commercial property in the future. He asked the board to separate their emotions so that they could make a decision that is best for the community overall.
The board voted unanimously to put in an amendment to the Village liquor ordinance. The changes were made to give the Village control so video cafes do not come to Mahomet. With the amendment, an establishment’s gaming revenue cannot exceed 50-percent of their total revenue.
