Residents urge Bolingbrook to allow video gaming; mayor says board is drafting limited, tightly regulated rules

Dozens of residents told the Bolingbrook Mayor and Board of Trustees on Sept. 23 that allowing video gaming would provide economic benefits to businesses and the village and help local organizations and veterans.

The public-comment portion of the meeting listed more than a dozen speakers who voiced support for legal, regulated video gaming in Bolingbrook, including business owners, veterans and community members. Commenters cited keeping tax revenue in the village, giving local businesses a competitive advantage over neighboring communities that already allow video gaming, and enabling businesses to support local initiatives and veterans’ services.

Mayor Mary S. Alexander-Basta responded that the board is "doing its due diligence in developing the structure that would regulate video gaming in Bolingbrook." She said that, if the board approves permitting video gaming, "it would allow a very limited number of video gaming machines in town, that responsible practices would be put in place, that gaming areas would have to be family-friendly so as not to disturb adjacent patrons, and that they would be heavily governed per state and local ordinances." The mayor did not announce a timeline for a vote.

The public comments were recorded by name in the meeting minutes; speakers included John Canham, Lisa Kosin, Beth Donofrio, Dave Butcher, Mike Evans, Kevin Wilson, Paul Meeker, John Davin, Herschel Nelson, Rick Cochrane, Robert Zalewski and Sam Fakhouri. According to the minutes, speakers argued the policy would support local business revenues and veterans' services.

Trustees thanked participants for offering their views and noted that opinions in the room were diverse. No formal motion or vote on a video-gaming ordinance occurred at the meeting; the discussion was part of public comment and mayoral remarks indicating the board intends to continue developing regulatory language and guardrails for any potential authorization.

The board's next formal step on this matter was not specified in the minutes; residents and business owners who addressed the board asked officials to consider local economic impacts and regulatory safeguards when the village brings a proposal forward.