In Cook, Illinois

Orland Park residents will see 2 ballot proposals to allow video gambling

The village has so far held two public forums on the issue, with a third scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday.
2018-01-05
Reading time 2:50 min
The board of trustees approved placing two questions on the ballot to authorize video gambling in the village at a recent special meeting. Voters will deal with the proposals on March 20.

Orland Park officials listened to residents and business owners discuss video gambling during a public forum in November. Two referendum questions on the issue will be discussed on the March primary ballot.

At a recent special village board meeting, trustees approved placing a question on the ballot asking whether video gambling should be allowed in the village, although restricted to holders of Class A liquor licenses that have been in business at least 18 consecutive months.

A separate question, the result of a petition effort on the part of residents, will ask voters whether video gambling should remain banned within village limits.

Both would be advisory questions, meaning village officials wouldn't be bound to adhere to the results of the voting.

Orland Park is among a handful of south and southwest suburbs that had opted out of allowing video gambling, with trustees approving an ordinance in December 2009 that prohibits the machines.

Last year, however, village officials began revisiting the issue, partly in response to declining sales tax revenue, with some business owners saying that they are at a competitive disadvantage in not being able to provide video gambling to their customers.

The village has so far held two public forums on the issue, with a third scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday at the Civic Center, 14750 Ravinia Ave.

A proposed ordinance would charge a business an annual fee of $1,000 per gambling terminal — state law allows a maximum of five machines per establishment — and an initial application fee of $2,500.

Afterward, businesses would pay a $1,000 license renewal fee each year, according to the proposed ordinance.

A consultant has estimated the village could realize annual revenue of a bit more than $415,000 from video gambling.

Residents at the public forums have spoken both for and against reversing the village's current prohibition on video gambling.

Some have said that allowing the terminals would alter the character of the village and hurt rather than help village revenues, as those who spend money at the machines have less disposable cash for other purchases.

"We don't need it, we don't want it," one resident said at a forum held last month.

Others, however, have pointed to the revenue other communities are realizing from video gambling as an argument for Orland Park permitting the devices.

The first gambling machines went live in September 2012, and there were almost 27,000 in use around the state at the end of the state's fiscal year 2017. In the communities immediately adjacent to Orland Park that allow video gambling, there are about 280 terminals operating, according to the state gaming board.

Along with Orland Park, video gambling is barred locally in Frankfort, Palos Heights, Palos Park and South Holland, and the games are not permitted in unincorporated areas of Cook and Will counties.

Some residents at the Dec. 11 public forum said that the issue should be put to voters in a referendum.

One man said it is "too big a deal to be decided by a handful of people," referring to the village board.

Village clerk John Mehalek had, at a village board meeting in early November, suggested trustees approve placing an advisory referendum question about video gambling on the March ballot, but the matter was tabled.

He was involved in the effort to collect signatures regarding the referendum question asking voters if they favor a continuation of the current ban on video gambling. He said that just under 2,200 signatures were gathered on petitions over the last several weeks.

At the special village board meeting on Dec. 28, Mayor Keith Pekau said that he is "generally against" referendum questions, which he believes undermine the role of elected representatives. He said that such questions should be reserved for "massive bond issues or form of government issues."

Tim McCarthy, owner of Paddy B's Pub, who has spoken on behalf of business owners seeking approval for video gambling, said at that meeting there was "no need for a referendum.

"This (issue) can be resolved by a simple vote of the board," he said.

Trustee Pat Gira, prior to the board's 5-1 vote approving the referendum question, said it is "important the residents be allowed to weigh in on this" issue.

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