Many Illinois counties may bypass VLTs - Euroslot - the independent voice of the amusement and gambling industry

Many Illinois counties may bypass VLTs

Published: 05 October, 2009

One Illinois county's officials have already voted unanimously to ban newly legalized video lottery terminals from unincorporated areas. The ban will exempt cities in DuPage County near Chicago, but several other counties may follow their lead.

Illinois's new VLT market may launch in a year or so. Democratic Governor Pat Quinn signed the Video Gaming Act into law on July 14. However, new polling revealed that a citizen vote would knock down the measure by a 58% to 34% margin.

Some political leaders fear that those counties enacting local VLT bans may share in the estimated $300 million in annual tax revenues. Quinn said he expects most counties to approve VLTs, ensuring a billion-dollar statewide market.

Illinois operators have advocated legalized VLT operation for 20 years; the new market is expected to network 40,000-plus devices.

What effect VLT terminals will have on the state's nine riverboats is unclear. Illinois has a high graduated casino tax rate of 15% to 50%, thanks in part to former Democratic Governor Rod Blagojevich, who promoted high gaming taxes across the state.

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