Except for one “no” vote, trustees in Wheeling, Illinois approved lifting a moratorium limiting the number of video gambling cafés to three. The moratorium went into effect in 2014. The three licenses in three different locations in Wheeling all are held by Stella’s Place.
Trustee Dave Vogel, who voted against lifting the cap, said, “At some point in time, how many video gambling cafes can a village of 40,000 people handle?”
Other trustees, however, are concerned that some developers are seeking approval for restaurants with video gambling that actually could be considered gambling cafés. Trustee Mary Papantos said, “It seems that we have establishments coming to us and coming up with business plans that just skirt the issue, that they really just want to open a video gaming café.”
Under village law, a restaurant with gambling must have seating for at least 30 people and serve lunch or dinner at least five days a week. A video gambling cafe may have a maximum of 30 seats and the primary business of the establishment is video gambling. Nonalcoholic drinks and food must account for half the total gross revenue.
Aside from the three Stella’s Place locations, 15 other bars or restaurants offer video gambling in Wheeling. Village Manager Jon Sfondilis said, “We recognize people’s concerns about the visibility and the image of these gaming cafes. We have fairly restrictive sign codes that prohibit the blinking signs, the large neon lights, anything that becomes obnoxious. We don’t want the town to look like Las Vegas, either.”
