Dixon City Council considers higher fees for video gambling businesses

The video gambling area at Izzy's in Joliet is reflected in picture frames on Tuesday, April 29, 2014.

DIXON – The City Council is looking at raising fees for businesses with video gambling machines, and demand continues for liquor licenses that allow the machines.

In Dixon, there are 168 video gambling terminals across 30 locations, Mayor Li Arellano said during Monday’s City Council meeting.

He said he’s been approached by many businesses wanting a pour liquor license that would allow them to install a video gambling area such as Snyders Pharmacy and several area gas stations.

The council will need to discuss possibly increasing the number of available licenses, but the city’s only way to curb video gambling and gambling parlors is through limiting the number of licenses, he said.

Council members also discussed increasing fees for the terminals and looking at earmarking gambling revenue the city receives for improvement projects. Gambling has generated more than $272,000 during the current fiscal year.

Arellano said the amount of revenue gambling generates is shocking, and the council has focused in the past on limiting the spread of gambling locations.

Rachel Rodgers

Rachel Rodgers

Rachel Rodgers joined Sauk Valley Media in 2016 covering local government in Dixon and Lee County.