LITH Gets First Video Gaming Machines
Meanwhile, the village of Algonquin has adopted a wait-and-see approach and will decide in six months whether to OK video gambling for its businesses.
Moretti's in Lake in the Hills powered up five video gambling machines last week, which were among the first in operation in the area, according to the Elgin Courier News.
The five machines turned on Tuesday at Moretti's, 220 N. Randall Road, allow bets between 1 cent and $2 and can reward up to $500, according to the article.
Meanwhile, the village of Algonquin will wait six months to see how the gaming machines work out in neighboring communities before deciding whether to OK it in Algonquin, village board president John Schmitt said during a Tuesday meeting.
"Bringing gambling into a community is not an everyday thing for us," Schmitt said. "We are going to wait and see."
The Illinois Gaming Board recently adopted administrative rules for the operation and regulation of terminals, allowing cities and villages to move ahead with video gaming.
Under the state statute, video gaming terminals are allowed in any licensed retail establishment where liquor is served for consumption on the premises, a fraternal establishment, veteran's establishment or a truck stop.
Under Algonquin's current ordinance, video gaming is currently not permitted.
Ken Fishleigh, owner of Nero's Pizza and Pub in Algonquin, told the village board Tuesday he fears residents will bypass his business in favor of bars and restaurant that have video gambling in neighboring towns.
“You are ignoring our businesses. You are hurting us,” Fishleigh said. “Everyone has approved (video gambling) around us…so in the time being, everyone is going to those other establishments to play. If we lose customers, it is your fault.”
Schmitt told Fishleigh the village's decision should not be blamed on a business' success or failure.
"I don’t think you can blame the village for your business doing well or not doing well. The villlage’s responsibility is to make sure the residents of this village are well taken care of," Schmitt said. "Six months is not the end of the world … we want to wait and see if that is going to work for our community."
While the village of Huntley recently approved video gaming machines, the city of Crystal Lake adopted an opt-out ordinance that removes the city from partaking in the gambling liberties awarded through the Illinois Video Gaming Act. East Dundee recently reversed a previous decision and voted to allow video gaming, according to the Elgin Courier-News.
The village of Algonquin during an August meeting voted 5-2 in favor of directing staff to draft an ordinance to allow video gambling. In a subsequent meeting, the village board decided to adopt its current wait-and-see approach.
During the August meeting, trustees opposed to video gaming machines said it could draw the wrong kind of crowds to businesses in Algonquin.
"I don't think we will be able to control this the way we should," Dianis said.
In This article
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Moretti's Ristorante & Pizzeria
220 N Randall Rd, Lake In the Hills, IL -
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Nero's Pizza and Pub
300 Eastgate Ct, Algonquin, IL
Janet Marie Rabig
7:14 am on Monday, October 22, 2012
I won't support morettis now. Sorry but gambling is predatory. In my opinion.
jeff
11:13 am on Monday, October 22, 2012
Its just video poker with a 500$ maximum payout! Cheap drink specials draw a worse crowd to an establishment than a video poker machine! Maybe they can install 100 video poker machines downtown at tyvek towers and make up for some lost $??
antigambler
12:55 pm on Monday, October 22, 2012
A flurry of small payouts is the most addictive form of gambling. Addicted gamblers (60% of whom commit crimes to support their habit) will be attracted to neighborhood casinos. The 9,000+ who have banned at the ten large casinos will not have the fear of arrest for trespassing at neighborhood casinos.
jeff
1:10 pm on Monday, October 22, 2012
Then why don't they ban all cigarettes and alcohol then? Why? $$$$ those are way more dangerous than video poker! Whats next? You want to ban all the kids nintendos and game boys?
antigambler
1:23 pm on Monday, October 22, 2012
They DO ban cigarettes in public places, more and more all the time. They DO ban alcohol in the car, on the street, after certain hours, etc. The place for slot machines is in highly-regulated casinos, not neighborhood businesses.
jeff
1:39 pm on Monday, October 22, 2012
Again its video poker not slot machines and there not setting up these places like casinos theres a few machines to be set up to see how it goes.
antigambler
4:25 pm on Monday, October 22, 2012
Jeff, manufacturers of the machines advertise "casinos as small as five machines". The video gambling machines are just like the slots at casinos. Each has 20+ games, one of which may be video poker.
It's NOT to see how it goes. The machines cost $20,000+ each and require almost a year-long licensing process, inspection, remodeling, installation, etc.
Gambling addiction has been found to be MORE common than alcoholism. http://www.vegasinc.com/news/2011/apr/14/study-finds-problem-gambling-more-common-alcoholis/ The prevalence of alcoholism addiction drops off in the older population, whereas the prevalence of gambling addiction increases. Nobody loses their life savings buying alcohol. Dually-addicted drug addicts will gamble away their drug money. Which one had a stronger grip on them?
jeff
5:01 pm on Monday, October 22, 2012
OK Everybody always listen to antig don't use your own brains and dont ever think for yourselves! He gets his info off of websites! If your in LITH lock up your kids and start packing heat for protection! according to antig the crime rate is going to go up 60% because of video poker in LITH. YOUR KIDDING ME? Take both your left wings and fly away! If you don't like it move out of Illinois! You say nobody loses their life savings buying alcohol or drugs? ARE YOU NUTS? but now there going to do it on video poker? huh? I have friends in law enforcement in Elgin and on the state level how come the crime rate is down in Elgin since the completion of the grand victoria casino almost 20 years ago???? Your another idiot who believes whatever you read online or the paper so it must be true! The same video poker machines being installed are already in every other bar around thats why you read every so often that a bar or restaurant got a ticket for video gaming because they violated an ordinance for no video gaming or they got caught doing the payouts behind the bar same thing! I dont recall the crime rate going up or people being robbed for $ so the video poker addicts can keep playing! Just more business for a small business owner. Ill bet you believe all the movies and crime shows on TV too right? You better move out of Illinois before all the video poker addicts come after you to rob and kill you for a dollar so they can play more video poker! What a moron!
antigambler
5:18 pm on Monday, October 22, 2012
Don't believe me. Believe a victim: http://www.illinoistimes.com/Springfield/article-8098-what-video-gambling-did-to-me.html
jeff
5:31 pm on Monday, October 22, 2012
What a idiot! Look out LITH somebody couldn't handle there video poker! Hes coming to your town next to rob you and your family for $ so he can play video poker lol another fool that believes what he reads online! Hey this will be great according to antigambler AKA "IDIOT" the crime rate is LITH is going up 60% because of video poker so we can hire 100 new cops now hey thats a lot of jobs! This is going to be great! WHat ever you do dont worry about the fact that we have the highest foreclosure rate now in the country and pay the most property taxes lets just worry about the crazy video poker junkies coming to take over LITH! What an idiot!
antigambler
5:34 pm on Monday, October 22, 2012
Losers gamble, and losers result to name-calling when they know they've been beat.
Nick
5:36 pm on Monday, October 22, 2012
Really nice how the LITH sneaks this one past its residents. I have saw how Algonquin and Huntley were seeking approval but I did not know LITH was seeking approval.
jeff
5:39 pm on Monday, October 22, 2012
I don't gamble so put your money where your mouth is coward!
jeff
5:43 pm on Monday, October 22, 2012
I'll make sure I call my friends in LITH and tell them to look out for video poker game junkies coming to rob them. I can just see them now lurking about in the Moretti's parkign lot now pan handling and robing people so they can play one more round of video poker! lol
Jack Mehoffer
5:55 pm on Monday, October 22, 2012
If an idiot is going to throw away his money at slot machines in the first place, absent the slot machines they'd just find something else to throw it away on. A few machines against a wall, big deal.
jeff
6:11 pm on Monday, October 22, 2012
Thats my whole point but for the one guy to say crime in LITH is going up 60% because of video poker thats just crazy. God forbid a small business owner makes a few bucks in a bad economy. I go to the victoria maybe twice a year and I have never seen video poker junkies robbing people and making the crime rate go up! lol So far the only people complaining are business owners in Algonquin worries about losing a % of their business to LITH because they have a few machines now.
Carolyn
3:50 pm on Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Most people in this area are not interested in wasting their time and money on video gambling. They may even decide to take their business to restaurants that do not have the gambling machines. There are many nice restaurants for families in the Lake in the Hills or Crystal Lake area that will not have video gambling. All is not lost, really!