As early as 2009, 3 years before Fox Lake adopted 230 ILCS 40 (code for the new video game laws), Ed Bender, the then mayor of Fox Lake, had seen both sides of the coin regarding video game law. . If enacted, he said it could give the city a bad reputation but, at the same time, perhaps it would also attract video game enthusiasts from neighboring cities and states where video games were illegal. Today, seven years later, video games have done more good than harm for Fox Lake and its community. And true to his words, many companies are back on their feet. Business data shows that enactment of this legislation has been good for all of Illinois and more local governments are adopting this new law.
By 2012, Fox Lake was waiting for the Illinois Gaming Board to finalize its regulations for the state-run video game network so that qualified entrepreneurs in the village could apply for their video game licenses. Therefore, Fox Lake is one of the Illinois cities that adopted the new video game regulations as soon as the law was enacted. How has this affected business at Fox Lake? Many owners say they have benefited enormously, as we will see later in this article.
At the time, many people thought it was good news, they were right
By 2008, the Illinois smoking ban had gone into effect and affected many businesses, with some tavern owners reporting up to 30% fewer businesses. However, there was a glimmer of light in the cloud with the enactment of 230 ILCS 40 because it would return the business and compensate the owners for the business they had lost since the smoking ban went into effect.
At a board meeting involving Fox Lake business owners and leaders, 10 business owners asked leaders to vote in favor of adopting the new video game laws.
But the laws were not accepted from the beginning without opposition. Mike Behan, the then Fox Lake Police Chief, had written to the board expressing his concerns about the proposed adoption of the law. Among his concerns was that the legalized video game would cause more alcoholism, financial problems for local families and driving while intoxicated. He also feared an increase in embezzlement and fraud cases, but said the police would agree with what the board votes.
So after the adoption of the new Illinois video game law in 2012, has Chief Mike Behan been proven right or has the former mayor been vindicated for an increase in business? All the available evidence points to the latter. You can confidently conclude that Fox Lake’s adoption of the new Illinois video game laws was sound advice and has brought more financial benefit than harm to the locals.
October 2012 to October 2013
The state of Illinois passed the law legalizing video games in 2009. Under the new law, fraternal organizations, truck stops, bars, veterans groups and restaurants could establish up to 5 terminals in their establishments. However, they would have to obtain a license for each terminal from the Illinois Gaming Board. Starting in 2009, it took another three years to simplify the regulation, but when it all fell into place, Fox Lake was one of the first places to enter the state-run video game network, in 2012.
In the first year of video game licensing in the suburb, city officials had only budgeted $ 12,000, but to their pleasant surprise, the amount of money video games raised for them was many times that, a an attractive value of $ 93,338. These proceeds were used to fund the Pace Bus program and, since then, the proceeds from video games have been directed towards vast improvements in the village. That a small place like Fox Lake makes more than $ 90 thousand in the first year of operation shows that there is a lot of potential in video games and that is what led the licensing authorities to license more establishments to host terminals. of videogames.
Fox Lake stores that have video game terminals
Many companies have enjoyed the benefits of legalized video games. One of these businesses is Stella’s Place, which offers restaurant and video game services. But it is the gaming experience that you will get that is so outstanding, with over 40 video poker and slot games. The beautiful atmosphere and good food add to the warmth of the place, attracting more diners and players.
It is open every day from 8:00 am to 2:00 am and although it has many items on the menu, games are the main dish. It is the ideal entertainment venue for adults who want to have a video poker experience to try their luck.
J’s Sports Bar and Grill on Fox Lake has also been a huge beneficiary of the profits made from video games. The owner of this establishment once said that video games saved the closure of the business. Video games with coupon payments are now one of the biggest attractions on the J’s Sports Bar menu.
Fox Lake Country Club has 5 gaming terminals, the maximum number allowed by law. The total amount won here is $ 8,421,675.44 so far. This property offers an 18-hole golf course and, because it is open to the public, is a very popular place for summer vacations and video games.
Hidden Point Bar & Grill offers video poker from its three video game terminals. This is to go with some of the tastiest Mexican pork tacos you will ever taste in the world. The total amount of money earned in these three terminals amounts to more than 1.5 million dollars.
conclusion
There’s no question that the 2012 decision to allow Fox Lake onto the state video game network was a good decision for all parties involved. The business has grown exponentially and some owners say that having video game terminals in their stores saved them from closure. State and local governments have also benefited from raising more revenue to run community programs for the benefit of their citizens. With video games legalized in the state of Illinois, more revenue and better business opportunities have been generated.