No Video Poker for Some

June 8, 2009

Illinois has been trying to bring in video poker for some time as they knew that it would be to their benefit come budget time. They have many programs that they would like to see funded but they cannot because of the shortfalls in the budget. So they were cutting programs until they realized that by offering video poker they could supplement their budget and add money to their coffers.

However, it would seem that not everyone is as thrilled with the idea as they are. They would rather that the state finds another way of bringing in money that doesn’t involve bringing video poker to their communities. Residents say that video poker is simply going to bring in crime and addiction and should not be allowed.

But the Illinois State House and Senate disagree with the residents and have approved a plan that would legalize video poker machines in both bars and restaurants. But residents will not go away that quietly. They say that it is not up to their government to tell them what they can have in their back yard and are turning to local government officials to help them out.

Several mayors within the state have decided that they are going to look into banning video poker in their town since their residents do not want it. They say that they think that the negative impact of bringing in video poker will outweigh any positive that could come out of it, and because of this the state has left in a contingency that city councils can block the measure if they want to.