While a number of communities in the Illinois Valley have had, or are having, discussions about increasing annual video game terminal fees, the village of Ladd decided not to implement terminal fees in 2022.
The Village Board sent a letter Feb. 23 to the establishments that have video gaming terminals thanking them for their “dedication and hard work” running their businesses during the pandemic. Ladd officials told proprietors they realized those establishments’ battle and wanted to see them flourish and that is why the village will not be implementing any fees in 2022. The Village Board will revisit the video gaming fees in January 2023.
In Ladd, four establishments operate 19 terminals. Those establishments have generated a net income of $145,890 in the first three months of 2020, which is roughly a revenue of $48,144 among those establishments in that time period. The village has collected a share of $7,294.
Streator, Spring Valley and Princeton have increased fees to $250 per terminal, which is the maximum for non-Home Rule communities. La Salle increased its fee from $60 to $120 while Peru decided not to increase its fees in 2022. In Oglesby, the fee will be raised incrementally over the next three years to $250. The fee climbs by $100 next year, then by $75 and then by $50.