Video Gambling: A Scourge

Repeal video gambling

John Cullerton, president of the Illinois Senate, surprised fans and foes of video gambling this week. He proposed repeal of lawmakers' wrong-headed decision in 2009 to legalize this predatory pastime — a proven way for cash-hungry governments to separate poor and working-class families from their scarce resources.

We appreciate that Cullerton's proposal to kill legal video gambling before it begins is part of his push to raise the state cigarette tax by $1 a pack. But whatever his conditions, Cullerton now has proposed the death of video gambling. He owns this mission, and we'll do what we can to further it. The Tribune news story about his proposal to kill video gambling identified Cullerton as a "powerful Chicago Democrat." We trust he'll use that power to get this important job done.

Legislators of both parties legalized video gambling two years ago as one of several revenue streams to fund a $31 billion capital spending bill. It was a bad idea then, a money grab rushed through the General Assembly before public opposition had a chance to coalesce. Even before Gov. Pat Quinn signed the bill into law — reversing his prior stand that citizen referendums should precede gambling expansions — sane voices were warning about the terrible social costs of video gambling in other locales where it's legal.


The legalization looks like an even worse idea today. With 76 communities and four counties already opting out of video gambling — and with Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel on record as opposing it in Chicago — the optimistic revenue projections of 2009 look unmeetable. What's more, in January a state Appellate Court declared the law unconstitutional because of how it was constructed. We hope the Illinois Supreme Court, which now is weighing an appeal, agrees.

All of which makes this a perfect time to acknowledge that video gambling won't be the magical money tree that its proponents — such as lobbyist, now-Cook County Assessor and Democratic Party pooh-bah Joe Berrios — promised it would be. Instead it has become a terrible black eye for lawmakers of both parties.

It's also a major headache for the Illinois Gaming Board. Some legislators, furious that video gambling isn't yet producing revenue, blame the board for bureaucratic foot-dragging. The real story is that legislators dumped video gambling onto the board with near-zero understanding of how difficult it is to initiate and regulate. What Illinois doesn't need is a legalized version of what now operates on the sly: mobbed-up video gambling in taverns, fraternal halls and other gathering spots statewide.

You could interpret Cullerton's proposed repeal as a game of chicken with Republican legislators who would like to see the cigarette tax raised the same way the income tax was: with nothing but Democratic votes. Many Republicans do, though, like the capital program, which brings constructing projects — and ribbon-cuttings — to their districts. Maybe Cullerton's threat to kill one big funding source for those projects, namely video gambling, will encourage the Republicans to vote for his cigarette tax hike.

That would be based, though, on the premise embraced by party leaders on both sides that Illinois must borrow and spend money on a capital program. We need the roads and bridges, yes. But Illinois is broke, even with its whopping income tax increase.

On Thursday Cullerton reiterated to us, through a spokesman, a point he made two years ago in our editorial board room: "I reluctantly went along with video gaming (as part of a bipartisan agreement on the 2009 capital bill). If it was up to me, I would clearly switch to a higher cigarette tax (in place of video gambling)."

Cigarette tax or not, we encourage Cullerton to push repeal of video gambling.

We anticipate Senate and House votes — and concurrence from the governor — to keep the scourge of legalized video gambling out of Illinois. We look forward, when that day comes, to congratulating John Cullerton for having had the courage to spearhead this.