DeKalb Will Vote on Gaming Ordinance at Next City Council Meeting

DEKALB - The city of DeKalb will finally vote on an ordinance to allow video game gambling inside their city's local bars and taverns.  The decision to construct an ordinance came after public comment Monday night at their regular city council meeting.  It's a decision the city council has been taking slowly; it's been on their radar since the state allowed local municipalities to vote on allowing gambling in 2009.

Earl Sullivan, the owner of Sullivan's Tavern on Lincoln Highway, says he's the one who originally started pushing for the measure three years ago.  He says his patrons spend plenty of drinks and lottery tickets in their bar, why not allow gambling?

"I think it would generate a lot of revenue for everybody involved," said Sullivan.  "Mainly the city of DeKalb, and us."

"We're going to get people who are going to stick around instead of going out of town."

 Sullivan was one of several bar owners at Monday night's city council meeting.  Though many including Sullivan were in favor of the measure at Monday's meeting, several people said it is taking advantage of the people who don't have the money to gamble.

"They aren't college professors," said John Anderson, one person voicing his opinion against the measure at Monday's meeting.

"They're not making $70-80-100,000 a year, they're just getting by."

Sullivan says the people Anderson is talking about are going to gamble no matter what, and that you might as well keep the money within the city limits.

"We're losing revenue from people that go out of town," said Sullivan.  "They can go to Aurora, they can go to Elgin, they can go to Joliet, Wisconsin, Iowa and they can gamble there."

Those like Anderson say what Sullivan is saying is like comparing apples to oranges.  The appeal of gambling on river boats and Indian casinos is different than the appeal of gaming consoles in the local watering hole.

"There's no real ambience like at the big gambling places and people I've talked to say they'll keep going to the big gambling places," said Anderson.

At the culmination of Monday's city council meeting, the city council wanted more information on the actual effects of video gaming on DeKalb.  Regardless, at their next meeting in August they will have an ordinance before them to vote on whether or not to allow the gaming in their city.