June 26, 2024
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A glance at the proposed Downers Grove video gambling ordinance

Village council expected to vote on proposal Tuesday

By Bob Rakow
The city of St. Charles will no longer require businesses to wait a year in order to apply for a video gaming license.

The Downers Grove Village Council is expected to vote Tuesday on an ordinance allowing video gambling in restaurants that have liquor licenses, allow on-premise consumption, but are located in areas outside the downtown area. (Rob Winner)

Video gambling could be coming to Downers Grove depending on how the Downers Grove Village Council votes at its Oct. 24 meeting.

If approved, the proposed ordinance would permit the operation of video gambling devices in restaurants that hold liquor licenses that allow on-premise consumption, located in areas outside downtown Downers Grove.

An initial estimate of annual video gambling revenues ranges from $230,000 to $265,000. This estimate is dependent primarily upon the number of licenses granted and the volume of terminal usage, according to a village report.

The proposal has been discussed at the Oct. 3 and Oct. 17 village council meetings. Additionally, the issue has been somewhat contentious as opponents of video gambling have indicated the addition of electronic slot machines would damage the character of the community and are not worth the additional revenue they would generate.

Westmont, Darien, Lombard, Villa Park and Woodridge are among the DuPage County communities that allow video gambling.

Here’s a glance at the proposed ordinance:

  • A video gaming license is required to operate gaming terminals.
  • Licenses are available for R1, R2, REC 1, REC 2, and C liquor license classifications.
  • Video gaming in the downtown would be limited to Class C and REC licensed establishments only (currently the Moose Lodge and Tivoli Bowl).
  • A maximum of 10 video gaming licenses will be available.
  • A maximum of six video gaming terminals per licensed establishment.
  • An establishment must have held a village liquor license for 12 months before it is eligible to apply.
  • This ordinance prohibits the operation of video gaming cafes.
  • The video gaming terminals must be placed in a separate room with walls at least 7 feet high.
  • The maximum size of the video gaming room is limited to 200 square feet or 25% of the seating/dining area, whichever is less.
  • Signs must be posted prohibiting anyone under 21 from entering the room.
  • Video gaming terminals shall not be visible from outside of the establishment.
  • Noise from the video gaming terminals shall not be heard outside of the separate gaming room.
  • Establishments with video gaming must be located more than 100 feet from any church or school.
  • If the underlying liquor license gets suspended or revoked for a violation, so too will the video gaming license and vice versa.
  • The effective date is Jan. 1, 2024.
  • The annual fee for each video gaming terminal is $1,500.
  • The initial one-time application fee is $1,885.
Downers GroveDuPage County