To the Editor:

The Illinois legislature and the governor, having placed the state in a most tight financial situation, passed a bill, which the governor signed, authorizing gambling devices in establishments that have liquor licenses. Some McHenry County municipalities have opted out of gaming devices, others have approved them, and some have not yet acted.

In McHenry County, we went through a big-time gambling investigation in the early 1960s. McHenry County was then the gambling haven for the Chicago area. Virtually all the private clubs, including fraternal clubs, veterans’ groups, etc., in Woodstock and the rest of McHenry County had slot machines. Many of the taverns had slot machines. In addition, many taverns had jar games.