7am News, Sports and Obits

Latest WGIL news
Click to play or
Right click and "Save Target As" to download
Click for Galesburg, Illinois Forecast
Home - Cancellations - Community Events - Contact Us - Mornings - News - Obituaries - Pictures - Programs - Special Events Audio - Sports - Weather
Quad Cities Lawmaker Wants Cities to Pay Fee if They Opt Out of Video Gaming Law
Local governments may have to pay for their choice to opt of video gambling in Illinois.

State Sen. Mike Jacobs (D-East Moline) is calling for a new fee on counties and municipalities that opt out of the video gambling law. He says those communities are not generating revenue to pay for a capital bill, and therefore should not receive money from it.

Gene O'Shea, spokesman for the Illinois Gaming Board, however, doesn't see how the proposed fee could be implemented. He says there is no language in the video gaming law that requires communities to tell the state they are opting out. O'Shea says there are currently 63 communities that have opted out, but that number is unofficial because there is no way to be sure.

Add to that the problem of communities that already had a gambling ban in place before the new law went into effect. Jacobs says even those communities would be subject to a fee under the proposed legislation.

The Video Gaming Act went into effect Jan. 1. The law legalized gambling on the kind of video gambling machines found in some bars and restaurants. Revenue from the law helps to pay for the capital bill, which funds building and construction projects.

(Illinois Radio Network)
02 07 10 by Newsroom
News management powered by Xpression News

Click here for the WGIL News Archive

Click here for national news

The following provision applies to all visitors (which shall include persons and representatives of legal entities, whether such representatives are persons or digital engines of a kind that crawls, indexes, scrapes, copies, stores or transmits digital content). By accessing this Web site or digital service, you specifically acknowledge and agree that: (i) Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium; (ii) No Associated Press materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and non-commercial use; (iii) The Associated Press will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing; (iv) The Associated Press is an intended third party beneficiary of these terms and conditions and it may exercise all rights and remedies available to it; and (v) The Associated Press reserves the right to audit possible unauthorized commercial use of AP materials or any portion thereof at any time.