DOWNERS GROVE, IL — Whether video gaming will be allowed in Downers Grove in the future will go to a referendum on next November’s general election ballot after village commissioners unanimously passed an amended ordinance last week following more than three hours of discussion and debate.
The proposed ordinance, which Commissioner Martin Tully called “uniquely Downers Grove,” sends the gaming measure to voters, who will determine whether local businesses could offer video gaming in their establishments. Although an original version of the ordinance would have allowed video gaming to be allowed beginning on Jan. 1, 2024, if approved by the board, the compromised version of the measure pushes the effective date back a year, depending on how residents vote.
However, the gaming issue remains a mixed bag of strong opinions among local residents, which was on full display at last week's council meeting, with more than two hours of public comment on the subject. The issue of video gaming in Downers Grove was first introduced two years ago before being tabled.
While many local business owners are pushing for the addition of video gaming in their establishments, some residents petitioned against it, claiming that it gives more options to some in the village who may struggle with gambling addiction.
Under the ordinance that was passed last week, the measure would allow for the issuance of 10 gaming licenses, which Tully said, would prevent gaming from being offered on an unlimited basis.
Proponents of the measure said that video gaming would provide added revenue to local businesses like Bryan's American Grille and Q Pub and Gril — the owners of which both spoke during the public comment portion of last week’s meeting. The co-owner of Q Pub and Grill stated that two prior elections of public officials in Downers Grove passed in 2021 and 2023 and urged that the council vote strictly on an ordinance that would allow gaming to take place.
She said that the commissioners who were elected to the board previously stated that they were in favor of gaming — a fact that was disputed during last week’s meeting. Other residents claimed commissioners were guilty of hypocrisy and should not be allowed to reverse course on their stance.
“Many votes were cast specifically for you because our businesses endorsed you because you said you supported the passage of a video gaming ordinance,” Victoria Bentley, the co-owner of Bryan's — said last week.
The board previously had considered an ordinance that would place limits on gaming issues in downtown Downers Grove, with terminals permitted only at businesses with class C (club) and REC (recreational) licenses. According to village documents, Tivoli Bowl and the Loyal Order of the Moose Lodge would be the only applicable businesses as the draft ordinance is written.
Moose Lodge, which currently offers video gaming via the Illinois Gaming Board, would be required to apply for a video gaming license via the village if the ordinance is approved. Terminals would only be permitted in businesses that have been open for at least 12 months. Additionally, the ordinance would have the following conditions:
If approved, it's estimated video gaming licenses would bring in between $230,000 and $265,000 in annual revenue, per village documents. Establishments would pay annual fees of $1,500 per video gaming terminal, along with a $1,885 initial application fee.
Resident Rich Matthews asked during last week's meeting how many people would wish to live next to a business establishment that allowed video gaming. When no one raised their hand, he said it proved a point about the number of people who don't wish to have gaming in the village. He argued that “alcohol is the drug of choice for transients” and “attracts this element” to the Downers Grove community and said that alcohol sales and consumption of alcohol would be far more harmful to the village's image than would video gaming among local businesses.
Proponents of the gaming measure said that alcohol sales and usage should not enter the equation of whether gaming is allowed and that having the option of whether to allow video gaming would provide more opportunity for growth for local businesses moving forward.
Bob Taft, the co-owner of Q Pub and Grill, said a resolution to the gaming issue provides businesses a road map of how they can move forward.
“A two-year wait is long enough,” he said.
However, commissioners said that they had agreed on a compromised version of the measure, which adds time to the process of whether gaming will be allowed. Several board members, including Mayor Bob Barnett, said that many Commissioners took time to listen to not only local residents but to fellow board members.
Barnett, a vocal opponent of video gaming, said that he will abide by the results of next November’s referendum although during previous meetings, commissioners said that they would not govern by referendum. But commissioners agreed last week that the healthy debate surrounding video gaming was proof that Downers Grove is an engaged community, which led to a resolution to allow voters to decide whether gaming should be allowed.
Moving the issue to the general election rather than the primary election in March 2024 allows for a bigger voter turnout, commissioners said, which will provide for more of a clear-cut vision of what local residents want to see happen.
“I hope we can move this forward so we can resolve this issue,” Tully said last week, adding that moving forward allows the council to address “big-ticket issues” that he says will have more benefit to the local business community and residents than video gaming.
Commissioner Leslie Sadowski-Fugitt said that moving forward with the amended resolution, showed that while board members may disagree on the issue, it showed that they can find ways to work together for the betterment of the community.
“It doesn’t do a whole lot of good if we’re up here yelling at each other,” she said. “In general, I don’t think that every controversial issue should go to a referendum …But I think it is important for my colleagues to weigh in and to have the community weigh in, and so my compromise here is to agree on this referendum.”
Patch editor Lisa Marie Farver provided reporting
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