Back in 2009, 3 years before Fox Lake adopted 230 ILCS 40 (code for new video game laws), Ed Bender, the then mayor of Fox Lake, had seen both sides of the coin regarding video game law. video game. If enacted, he said it could bring a bad reputation to the city, but at the same time, it might also attract video game enthusiasts from neighboring cities and states where video gambling is illegal. Today, seven years later, video games have done more good than harm for Fox Lake and its community. And true to his words, many companies have gotten back on their feet. Business data shows that the enactment of this legislation has been good for all of Illinois and more local governments are adopting this new law.
By 2012, Fox Lake was waiting for the Illinois Gaming Board to finalize its regulations for the state’s video game network so that qualified entrepreneurs in town could apply for their video game licenses. Therefore, Fox Lake is one of the cities in Illinois that adopted the new video game regulations as soon as the law was enacted. How has this affected businesses in Fox Lake? Many owners say that they have benefited a lot as we will see later in this article.
At the time, many people thought this was good news, they were right.
In 2008, Illinois’ smoking ban went into effect and affected many businesses, with some saloon owners reporting up to 30% fewer businesses. However, there was a silver lining in the cloud with the enactment of 230 ILCS 40 because it would bring back the business and compensate the owners for the business they had lost since the smoking ban went into effect.
At a board meeting attended by Fox Lake businessmen and leaders, 10 businessmen asked the leaders to vote in favor of adopting the new video game laws.
But the laws were not accepted from the beginning without opposition. Mike Behan, the then Fox Lake police chief, had written to the board expressing concern about the planned adoption of the law. Among his concerns was that legalized video games would cause more alcoholism, financial problems for local families and drunk driving. He too feared a rise in embezzlement and fraud cases, but said the police would go along with whatever the board voted on.
So, after the adoption of the new Illinois video game law in 2012, has boss Mike Behan been proven right, or has the former mayor been vindicated by an increase in business? All available evidence points to the latter. You can confidently conclude that Fox Lake’s adoption of the new Illinois video gambling laws was well advised and has brought more financial benefit than harm to locals.
October 2012 to October 2013
The state of Illinois passed the law legalizing video gambling in 2009. Under the new law, fraternal organizations, truck stops, bars, veterans groups, and restaurants could install up to 5 terminals at their establishments. However, they would have to obtain a license for each terminal from the Illinois Gaming Board. Starting in 2009, it took another three years to streamline regulation, but when it all fell into place, Fox Lake was one of the first places to enter the state video game network in 2012.
In the first year of passing video game licenses in the suburb, city officials had only budgeted $12,000 but, to their pleasant surprise, the amount of money video games raised for them was much more than that. , at an attractive $93,338. These revenues were used to fund the Pace Bus program, and since then, video game revenues have been directed towards major improvements to the village. For a small venue like Fox Lake to make over $90K in the first year of operation shows that there is a lot of potential in video gaming and that is what prompted licensing authorities to license more establishments to house terminals. of video games.
Fox Lake establishments with video game terminals
Many companies have enjoyed the benefits of legalized video games. One of these businesses is Stella’s Place, which offers restaurant services and video game services. But it’s the gaming experience you’ll get there that’s so outstanding, with over 40 video poker and slot games. The beautiful atmosphere and good food add to the warmth of the place, attracting more diners and gamers.
It’s open daily from 8:00am to 2:00am and although it has many items on the menu, game is the main course. It is the ideal entertainment venue for adults who want a video poker experience to try their luck.
J’s Sports Bar and Grill in Fox Lake has also been a big beneficiary of profits made from video games. The owner of this establishment once said that video games saved the business from closing. Video games with voucher payments are now one of the biggest draws on the J’s Sports Bar menu.
Fox Lake Country Club has 5 gaming terminals, the maximum number allowed by law. The total amount won here is $8,421,675.44 so far. This property offers an 18-hole golf course and because it is open to the public, it is a very popular spot for summer vacations and video games.
Hidden Point Bar & Grill offers video poker from its three video game terminals. This accompanies some of the tastiest Mexican pork tacos I have ever tasted in the world. The total amount of money earned at these three terminals amounts to more than 1.5 million dollars.
conclusion
There is no doubt that the 2012 decision to allow Fox Lake into the state video game network was a good decision for all parties involved. The business has grown exponentially, and some owners say having video game terminals in their stores saved them from closure. State and local governments have also benefited by raising more revenue to run community programs for the benefit of their citizens. With video games legalized in the state of Illinois, more revenue and better business opportunities have been generated.