CHICAGO CITY HALL (WBBM Newsradio) -- Those video gambling-like "sweepstakes" machines you might see at your corner gas station would be outlawed under a measure set for a final vote this month in Chicago City Council.
Sweepstakes machines look and sound like video poker terminals, but instead of cash, winners get tickets they can exchange for prizes. That means that they're technically not illegal in Chicago, but they're also not licensed, which means they're not generating any revenue for the city.
And as Chicago is poised to clear the way for legalized video gambling across the city, generating millions of dollars in revenue, having an unlicensed competitor leaves cash on the table.
The proposal from Far South side Ald. Anthony Beale would assess fines starting at $1,000 for each sweepstakes machine, and repeat offenders could have them confiscated.
"I'm sympathetic to the people who are potentially gonna be affected by this," Ald. Beale (9th Ward) told colleagues during Tuesday's committee meeting, "but they've made a lot of money over the years. The city of Chicago hasn't gotten one benefit from sweepstakes machines. One iota."
Chicago Business Affairs and Consumer Protection commissioner Ivan Capifaldi told aldermen his department needed more time to study the proposal.
"We remain concerned about the broader operational impact this ordinance would impose, and we want to ensure seamless and lawful implementation," Capifaldi testified. "BACP is opposing the ordinance as it stands, and we believe concerns need to be addressed."
But Northwest side Ald. Anthony Napolitano (41st Ward) says time is something businesses in his ward don't have: "I get destroyed by my surrounding suburbs."
And South side Ald. Stephanie Coleman noted there are already about 5,000 sweepstakes machines in operation, and that number could go up.
"We need to work ... now," said Ald. Coleman (16th Ward).
Ordinance would outlaw potential video gambling competitors
Ordinance would outlaw potential video gambling competitors
