Should Video Gaming Come to Huntley?

Sammy Abdullai, the owner of , came to Village Hall on Thursday night to hear the discussion about video gaming.

“I know there are people opposed, but we have been hit by a lot of things here,” he said, after he left the meeting. He cited the last summer's construction project on Route 47 and other factors facing his business “The economy is bad, the taxes are rising and we are paying more for food. It seems like us small business owners are hit by everything.”

“I think this would give us a little more revenue to help us out,” Abdullai said.

Huntley trustees are weighing the idea of amending village ordinances to allow and license video gaming. The Video Gaming Act was passed in 2009 to fund capital projects like the Route 47 road construction project.

The Illinois Gaming Board recently adopted administrative rules for the operation and regulation of terminals, allowing cities and villages to move ahead with video gaming.

Village trustees must vote to amend Huntley’s ordinance to allow video gaming and to license terminals. Trustees discussed the idea Thursday, but a final vote will be taken at the June 14 Village Board meeting.

While some trustees voiced support of allowing and licensing video gaming, Trustee Harry Leopold declined to reveal whether he supports the idea. However, he expressed his view on video gaming, which he said should be called what it is — video gambling.

 “There have been no instances where gambling has come into a town and has improved the quality of life,” Leopold said after Thursday’s meeting.

“We knew three years ago … this was how the state would pay for Route 47. Since we got our Route 47 (project done) now it’s time to pay the piper,” Trustee Pam Fender said at the meeting. “I don’t think it would be right for the village of Huntley to say no to video gaming now that we have Route 47.”

She added the state of Illinois has been cutting local governments’ funding and making changes to property tax and sales tax distributions. “There are lots of ways the state can take away money from the village,” she said.

“I’m all for it,” Trustee Nick Hanson said of video gaming.

For Hanson, the issue is how to spend the projected $112,500 in revenues video gaming could generate for the village. He wants to see the village establish a scholarship for Huntley students.

Meanwhile, Trustee Ron Hahn raised another aspect to consider. If Huntley doesn’t allow video gaming, its businesses could lose patrons to other villages that do allow it, he said.

Leopold sees it differently.

“There is a greater responsibility and that’s to the community in general,” he said.