St. Charles Approves Video Gambling

St. Charles voted Monday night to legalize video gambling but the city will wait for the state budget to pass -- and for the distribution of local gambling proceeds -- before moving forward with allowing gambling machines in local businesses, the Daily Herald reports. The formal legalization of video gambling also hinges on whether the state decides to change the percentage owed to communities.

“The impetus for this has been about us collecting revenue,” Aldermen Dan Stellato said. “We want to make sure we’re not in a situation where we’re not receiving any money.”

The last-minute amendment Monday came following a Daily Herald investigation that looked at money owed by the state to municipalities in the form of a tax share the communities were promised for installing machines at bars, restaurants and gas stations. Since the state does not have a spending plan in place, it can not pay out the $11.3 million owed to local governments during the first 90 days of a state budget impasse, the newspaper reports.

State officials say the money will be paid out once lawmakers agree on a budget, according to the article.

Read more on the Daily Herald.