Illinois city sets limit on video gambling terminals

Prairie State’s second-biggest city is set to limit the number of video gambling terminals permitted in the city.

US.- The Aurora City Council voted this week on a new video gambling regulation that aims to strike a balance between allowing video gambling terminals expansion and protecting the Hollywood Casino downtown. Aurora is a suburb located in Chicago, and the second biggest city in Illinois.

Ald. Michael Saville, 6th Ward, said: “I think we all agree the casino has been a boon to the community in terms of revenues, which has helped with many capital projects. I think we have to be protective of our casino.”

The new regulation would limit terminals to 200 citywide and allow any establishment to have no more than five, local media reported. It also establishes that no video gambling terminals can be located within a half-mile of a place that already features that type of gambling services, while it also would allow only one place with video gambling for each shopping plaza.

Furthermore, the new regulations would increase a licence fee from US$100 to US$300 a year and would increase the fee to the terminal distributor from US$1,000 annually to US$1,200. The council voted to extend the moratorium to award new video gambling licenses for two weeks, in order to give the city time to get the regulations in order and in effect.

Ald. Carl Franco, 5th Ward, said that if the 200 terminal limit is too small, in the future they can always come back and expand it.