RS.10.01
December 7, 2009

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
URBANA-CHAMPAIGN SENATE

Prefiled Resolution

RS.10.01         Resolution Regarding Local Governmental Units Banning Video Gambling Machines Due to Their Detrimental Impacts on Students and the General Public

Background
In July 2009 the State of Illinois enacted the Video Gambling Act which will allow Illinois to have more video gambling/slot machines than the State of Nevada. This legislation permits licensed facilities pouring alcohol to create mini-casinos comprised of video gambling machines and including not just bars, but truck stops, restaurants, billiard parlors, airport lounges, bowling alleys, and other convenience locations serving alcohol. Legislation has already been introduced to extend further the types of facilities and the numbers of video gambling machines.

Whereas,          The U.S. National Gambling Impact Study Commission, sponsored by U.S. Senator Paul Simon, noted that the psychological, sociological, and psychiatric communities commonly refer to video gambling machines as the “crack cocaine” of creating new addicted gamblers; and

Whereas,          The Chicago Tribune (7-12-09), the Chicago Sun-Times (5-14-09), and other Illinois news media have editorialized and commented against the Video Gambling Act, including calling for its repeal (Chicago Tribune, 9-11-09); and

Whereas,          Thirty-nine Illinois counties and municipalities have already enacted new ordinances banning video gambling machines, including DuPage County by a unanimous vote and Cook County by a 10 to 4 vote; and

Whereas,          Communities banning video gambling machines will not lose one penny of capital construction funds under the $31 billion capital construction bill; and

Whereas,          Studies in concurrence with and subsequent to the U.S. National Gambling Impact Study Commission have shown that student populations are particularly susceptible to addicted and problem gambling and are showing double the gambling addiction rate of the older adult population; and

Whereas,          Illinois college communities, such as Carbondale, have recently banned or are poised to ban video gambling machines as problematic for students; and

Whereas,          On November 12, 2009, the Champaign County Board, Urbana City Council, and Champaign City Council co-sponsored a policy review study session at the Beckman Institute, where these facts were presented to the public; and

Whereas,          If bans are not initiated quickly, video gambling machines will likely be brought into local communities.

Be it resolved by the UIUC Senate that

For the welfare of the student population and the general public, the UIUC Senate urges the Champaign County Board, the Urbana City Council, the Champaign City Council, and surrounding governmental units to enact new bans prohibiting video gambling machines.

UIUC Senate Members:

David S. Olsen
Hannah Ehrenberg
Nolan Drea
Greg Thompson
Megan Haselschwerdt