Johnsburg committee gives nod to video gambling plan

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JOHNSBURG – Video gambling is legal in Wisconsin. It’s not in Illinois.

That hasn’t helped bingo night at the McHenry Moose Lodge in Johnsburg, less than 10 miles south of the state line.

“Since our buddies up north at the gambling casinos have bigger prizes, they’ve been taking away from us,” said Chris Roby, governor of the Lodge.

However, once the Illinois Gaming Board is ready to regulate video gambling, there’s a chance that the Lodge will be able to add machines at its Richmond Road headquarters.

The Johnsburg Finance Committee has given an unofficial thumbs up to the prospect of allowing video gambling within village limits, committee Chairwoman Mary Lou Hutchinson said.

“They’re going to go [to Wisconsin] and do the video gaming. Why shouldn’t we do it?” Hutchinson said. “It’s good for the local businesses, and the revenue will stay here in Johnsburg.”

Video gambling has been a hot topic since Gov. Pat Quinn in July signed a bill into law that would allow establishments that serve alcohol to have up to five video gambling machines each. However, the bill gave county and municipal governments the ability to opt out.

So far, at least three Illinois counties and about 30 municipalities have opted out.

Whether McHenry County will remains up in the air.

The County Board is expected Dec. 1 to vote on an ordinance to ban video gambling. However, that ban would apply only to businesses within unincorporated areas.

Individual towns would be able to set their own standards.

Hutchinson said that from a financial standpoint, committee members were excited about the prospect of allowing video gambling machines at local taverns. However, they haven’t debated the issue from a moral standpoint, and the discussion hasn’t reached the Village Board level.

“We’re not in any real rush to do this because we’re waiting to see what the gaming commission comes out with in terms of rules and regulations,” Hutchinson said.

Roby, however, is eager to find out whether the Lodge can bring back the types of machines it had as recent as 15 years ago.

“They did help us quite a bit,” Roby sad.

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