Just Askin' | Local video-gambling revenues

How much are area towns benefiting from video gambling?

Rantoul Village Administrator Scott Eisenhauer wasn’t shy about the benefits that video-gambling revenue brings to his city.

Of the $5.68 million in income that Rantoul terminals made in 2021, 5 percent of it — more than $284,000 — went into the municipality’s general fund.

“You’re talking about three more police officers on the street, more programming we can offer in recreation,” Eisenhauer said. “It’s what we call a ‘tax of choice.’ Nobody requires you to go in and play video gaming.”

Through April of this year, Rantoul gambling terminals have raked in $94,000 for the village.

“Without those dollars, the choice is less programs and police officers on the street, or to turn around and tax the residents," he said. "Here, residents are taxing themselves in choosing to spend their money that way, which takes that burden off of the typical property owner."

Here’s a breakdown of how much has been bet and won at the top three video-gambling spots in 10 East Central Illinois municipalities from January to April 2022, sorted by the amount of tax revenue heading to each local government.

In Illinois, the net income of each video-gambling terminal is taxed at 34 percent, of which 29 percent goes to the state and 5 percent goes to the municipality.

The difference between the amount of money bet at each terminal and the amount won is known as net wagering activity.