Village of St. Joseph to look at liquor license to broaden video gaming establishments
BY DANI TIETZ
dani@mahometnews.com
The Village of St. Joseph Board of Trustees will take action on amending the existing liquor license to allow for a Package/Pour License which would allow the opportunity for additional business owners to pursue a video gaming license.
In Feb. 2012, Village Trustees passed an ordinance to allow restaurants that serve food and liquor on-premises to apply for a video gaming license and have machines on-premises if the total gross revenues from video gaming do not exceed 50-percent of the total gross revenues from the combined sale of food and alcoholic liquor and video gaming on the premises in any calendar year.
According to Illinois Gaming Board Reports, Roch’s is the only establishment within the Village of St. Joseph that has a video gaming license at this time.
In 2019 the municipality tax revenue the Village of St. Joseph received totaled $12,408.19. Since 2012, the Village has collected $113,707.51 in video gaming tax revenue.
La Luna Cafe also had video gaming available until 2018.
The Village of St. Joseph uses video gaming tax money to make improvements to the stormwater system.
Nearby local municipalities have expanded liquor and video gaming ordinances that meet the state standard and allow for a variety of establishments that serve liquor to also provide video gaming.
In 2019, nearby Ogden, which has six establishments and 27 video gaming machines, collected $39,497.06 in video gaming taxes. One establishment in Homer, which has four machines provided $4,115.54 in tax revenue. Royal’s one establishment with three machines collected $2,293.07.
In 2019 the State of Illinois increased the number of video gaming machines an establishment can have from five to six. Truck stops on three acres of land within a 3-mile distance from a freeway interchange with a convenience store and a sales average of at least 10,000 gallons a month are allowed up to 10 terminals.
The State also increased the maximum wager from $2 to $4. Within SB 0690, the maximum cash award increased from $500 to $1,199 and allowed an in-location progressive jackpot up to $10,000.
The Village of St. Joseph’s board meeting will also include action after a presentation from Clark Dietz on the 2020 MFT Resolution and an update from Jim Page on a new grant application proposal for a bike path at Woodard Community Park.
