The IGB picked a company to build the video gambling control system in January and declared the bugs worked out of it in July but investigators have only been able to process 72 applicants to actually run the machines. That leaves about 2,000 bars and restaurants, roughly 200 veterans' organizations and around 50 truck stops to go. "The IGB's staff has done a tremendous job," said IGB Board Chairman Aaron Jaffe, in Tuesday's announcement.
The Legislature OK'ed video gambling more than three years ago to help pay for the State's $31 billion capital bill but neglected to provide any funding to make the system run. After that was rectified there was a court challenge to the bill. Finally, the IGB lost several months when it had to re-bid the operating system when it made an error the first time.
So far 633 communities and counties have climbed aboard the Illinois video gambling bandwagon but 311 have nixed it. The IGB says it's not sure about 525 other communities and counties because no one in any of them has asked for a license.
Locally, Lake in the Hills and Huntley have approved video gambling but, by Tuesday's count, the IGB's only issued gaming machine licenses for LITH's Moretti's Ristorante and Pizzeria. According to the latest report, Huntley's shaping up as the area's video gambling hub, though, with three more applicants added to three that were already on the waiting list.
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