Local News
County revamps efforts to ban video gambling
Effingham County officials may tackle the video poker issue sooner than later, County Board Chairwoman Carolyn Willenburg said Monday.
“We need to keep this on the front burner,” Willenburg said at Monday’s Legislative Committee meeting. After the meeting, the chairwoman said she didn’t have a specific timetable for when the board might consider banning video poker machines.
The Illinois General Assembly voted this spring to legalize video poker machines effective Jan. 1. Gov. Pat Quinn signed the bill July 13. A number of subsequent bills are being considered to augment the original bill.
Many establishments throughout the state have reportedly been making illegal payouts on the machines for many years.
A gambling foe urged the board to ban video gaming, particularly if a bill is passed that would legalize video gaming at truck stops without any time restraints.
“This would make Illinois the Las Vegas of the Midwest,” said Anita Bedell, executive director of Illinois Church Action on Alcohol & Addiction Problems.
Bedell called video gaming “the crack cocaine of gambling,” citing a Rhode Island study that found those who played video gaming machines became addicted quicker than those who gambled in other ways.
Bedell said the legislation passed this year is only the tip of the iceberg.
“Once this legislation comes in, they will keep expanding,” she said.
Bedell noted those who lose at gambling often become suicidal. If they are at a truck stop, she said, area highways could become more dangerous.
“We would like you to consider a ban to protect your communities and highways,” she said. “This isn’t something you want to invite into your community.”
Willenburg said the county only has jurisdiction over establishments in unincorporated areas, adding individual municipalities would have to ban video gaming on their own. But committee member Mark Percival said the county could send a message by taking early action.
“It would be progressive for the county to lead the way and ban it,” Percival said. “If we can help these people not lose their money, it would be worth it.”
Also Monday, the committee approved the appointment of county residents Joan Thies, Matt Roedl and Mike Conrad to the Crossroads Workforce Investment Board.
The committee also agreed to set 2010 board meetings for the third Monday of each month at 4 p.m., except for January and February, when meetings would be held on the third Tuesday because of Monday holidays.
Bill Grimes can be reached at 217-347-7151 ext. 132 or bill.grimes@effinghamdailynews.com.
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