State Sen. PO'd at Chicago for Not Having Video Gambling

By Prescott Carlson in News on Mar 6, 2010 5:15PM

Some Illinois lawmakers are starting to get irked at the communities choosing to opt out of the recent Video Gaming Act, which allows certain types of establishments to offer legal gambling via machines like video poker and video slots. Dozens of villages and counties have banned the machines instead of welcoming them in with open arms, threatening to tumble the shaky house of cards the state built to help fund a $31 billion construction program.

The biggest potential cash cow for video gaming revenue is obviously Chicago, but the city had already banned such types of gambling well before the new legislation was signed. State Sen. Mike Jacobs (D-Moline) thinks that's a big problem, and if Mayor Daley and the Chicago City Council don't change their minds on the ban, well then they shouldn't be expecting any money, then, either. Jacobs was quoted as saying, "If the mayor's not interested in [helping pay] for capital projects he shouldn't take them."

Last month, a House bill sponsored by three Reps. was introduced that wants to put Jacobs' thoughts into law, prohibiting capital funding to be distributed to any city/county with a video gambling ban. At the same time, Jacobs even introduced a bill that would require cities and counties that ban video gambling to pay a monthly fine to the state equal to the estimated revenue if the machines were in place. A Tribune editorial came up with an amusing phrase to describe Jacobs' bill -- "pay-for-not-playing."

But if you think Daley's the type to be pushed around by some legislator from downstate, you really haven't been paying attention. Just over a week ago Daley said, "So I don't know how anybody can come out for it if we don't allow video poker in Chicago. No, there's no discussion. No one's ever even brought it up."