Municipalities that allow video gambling in Kane County, Illinois may not receive money from riverboat casinos under a proposal by county board member Kurt Kojzarek. He introduced the possibility of a ban because the county’s share of riverboat gambling proceeds is expected to dip below million for the first time in 2018. Allowing video gaming terminals within municipalities’ boundaries “does have an adverse effect on money coming from the riverboat,” Kojzarek said.
He noted this year the county gave $775,307 of its share of Grand Victoria riverboat casino proceeds in grants to local social service agencies and municipalities. Two years ago that total was more than $1 million.
Also in 2017, St. Charles received $71,000 and Aurora received $3,000. However, under Kojzarek’s plan, those communities would not receive grants since they allow video gambling. Social service agencies in St. Charles and Aurora still would be eligible.
John Hoscheit, chairman of the county’s riverboat committee, pointed out a couple of caveats in Kojzarek’s proposal. Hoscheit said he encourages municipalities, rather than community groups, to apply for riverboat casino funds since they have experience working with other government bodies. He said that makes it easier for the county staff to track how riverboat money recipients spend the funds.
In addition, Hoscheit noted the county allows video gambling. In fact, he said county board members recently indicated their support for the machines.
Kojzarek said he would have voted against legalizing video gambling if he’d been on the board when the initial vote took place. Now, with more than 1,200 video gambling machines in use throughout the county, “the genie is out of the bottle,” he said.
Kojzarek said the county simply should not use riverboat money, or should find ways to reduce it. County departments have filed $2.5 million in riverboat funding requests for 2018, which officials will evaluate soon. However, the agreement with Grand Victoria requires funding several specific county programs. “Those should be considered sacred cows but anything else will need to be looked at annually for efficiency, productivity and results. If there is another entity out there that can do it better, I am all for taking it away from the county and giving it to someone else,” Kojzarek said.
Riverboat funds provide money for tuition reimbursement for county employees, the state’s attorneys’ domestic violence program, farmland preservation, the county’s recycling program and more.
The Grand Victoria Casino in Elgin and Hollywood Casino in Aurora have different agreements regarding sharing proceeds with Kane County.
