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TO: Mayor Richard C. Irvin
FROM: Deb Lang, Assistant Corporation Counsel
Jennifer Stallings, City Clerk
Alex Voigt, Deputy Chief of Staff
DATE: October 4, 2023
SUBJECT:
Requesting approval of Amendments to Chapter 8 - Division 8-IV-1 pertaining to Amusement Devices Generally.
PURPOSE:
The purpose of amendments proposed in Legistar items 23-0800, 23-0801, 23-0803 and 23-0806 all seek to address a loophole in our local ordinances pertaining to illegal gaming/gambling machines.
BACKGROUND:
The State of Illinois and the City of Aurora have established regulations for video gaming and amusement machines. The city's regulations largely mirror the State's, but as it pertains to allowable locations, the number of machines and the standards of establishments, Aurora's regulations are more stringent. However, there is currently a loophole in the State Law and our local ordinances that allows a certain type of amusement machine to be licensed that is, in most respects, a video gaming machine. This proposed legislation seeks to close the loophole and prohibit all "amusement" gaming machines that directly pay out money or vouchers redeemable on-site (or elsewhere) for money or other forms of taxable income, from being operated in non-regulated businesses. This change does not apply to establishments licensed under Chapter 8; the only impact will be to businesses with unregulated terminals licensed under "Amusements".
DISCUSSION:
The city's current gaming regulations were updated in 2020 to clarify provisions specific to the locations of video gaming terminals, which are currently limited to "full-service restaurants", locations like gas stations and convenience stores are prohibited from having terminals.
The four items before the committee today are all related to the prohibition of "amusement" video gaming machines that directly pay out money or redeemable vouchers. This amendment will protect businesses in Aurora that operate legal and licensed vid...
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