PEKIN, Ill. – The almost year-long debate over how and if the Pekin City Council should change the city’s fee structure for video gaming terminals still isn’t decided.
Council members Monday night voted to again table a proposal changing a $1,000 per terminal, per quarter fee, to one city manager Mark Rothert says is fairer.
“This, instead, pegs a fee based on essentially an ability to pay, based on the revenues generated at each gaming terminal,” said Rothert.
That fee would be around two and a half percent of net revenues from the preceding quarter. It’s a proposal city officials and Mayor Mark Luft says most gaming establishments are in favor of the change, which would benefit city infrastructure projects, and the city’s police and fire pensions.
“With inflation and everything coming, it’s certainly the wrong time for this [fee change],” said Council Member Lloyd Orrick. The council has been debating the matter since March, with fee collection being held off for the time being.
Rothert says he understand that concern, but there’s something council members should remember.
“This is not necessarily a fee assessed against somebody who doesn’t want to play video gaming terminals. It’s by choice,” said Rothert. “If you go to a video gaming terminal, you know there’s going to be this fee assessed on you — not so much the player, but the video gaming terminal operators and the establishments.”
Rothert says video gaming terminals generate as much as $8 million annually.
The Pekin City Council is expected to take a final vote on the matter October 10.
