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Monday, September 14, 2009
Video poker is business decision |
The great debate over video poker machines, and gambling in general, is in full swing.
Whether the debate will make any sense is anyone's guess.
For years, the horse racing industry in Illinois has been behind the expansion of gambling, specifically slots and video poker, to keep the industry viable while facing gambling competition from casinos and riverboats.
So the arguments for video poker are old and familiar. The arguments against are catching fire in communities around the state. Beach Park, Country Club Hills, unincorporated DuPage County, Elburn and Rosemont all have voted to ban video poker. McHenry and Kane counties are soliciting public hearings on the matter before ruling on banning the practice in unincorporated areas.
The problem here is that moral stances are getting in the way of good business. And whatever you might think of gambling or playing poker for money, the fact is that the additions of these machines to bars, restaurants, service clubs, veteran's clubs and truck stops in McHenry County can bring in cash to the business.
Of course, it might not.
That's why it's called a business decision. It's going to cost money for the business owners to get the licenses and install the machines. It's going to take an investment from the owners before they start to see a cent of profit.
Those are the kinds of decisions that business owners face every day, every week, every month. They decide whether to
renovate their current shop, whether to expand to add more room for customers or inventory. They choose what to stock
their stores with, what items to put on a menu, what decor will attract repeat visitors.
They make their decisions, and they hope to reap the profits by making the right move.
Because this debate has been so entwined with the horse racing industry, I thought the best move would be to talk with Ron Monaco of Monaco's in McHenry. The restaurant was an off-track betting site until 2005, when its license was shifted to Nicolno's.
The melding of off-track betting and video poker gambling seemed to be an extension of what the race tracks have
advocated for years.
Not so, Monaco said.
"Horse players are a completely different breed of people," he said. "A true horse player is concentrating on handicapping the next race, particularly at an off-track site because there's always races going on. Once their track is over, they might be willing to play, but then most of them are broke."
But as part of a bar or restaurant, Monaco said he believed the machines made sense.
"I think it's a good idea for bars to bring some people in," he said.
That's his opinion, and it will be his choice to add - or not add - video poker machines to his restaurant. Of course, it will only be his choice if McHenry lets him have it.
Governmental bodies, from municipalities to the federal level, are making more decisions for businesses. Let's hope this
decision gets left to the people running the store, and not the people running a board. |
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Chris Freeman is the business editor of the Northwest Herald |
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