Illinois offers plenty of gambling opportunities: casinos offering real-money poker rooms, horse tracks that provide pari-mutuel betting, state lotteries and the state lottery are all legal. Unfortunately, however, playing real money poker outside a casino, racetrack or qualifying charitable event/venue does not appear to be explicitly legal yet; but thanks to a new bill currently under consideration that may soon change.
Illinois currently hosts 6,800 video gambling machines that bring in billions in annual revenues to its cash-strapped state, and can be found across bars and restaurants, truck stops and storefront gambling parlors across Illinois, except Chicago where they remain prohibited. According to Heimerdinger, net terminal income (money left over after customer payouts have been distributed) is split up among establishments, state and local governments and gaming companies running these machines with about one third going back into their pockets while another third must go towards gaming companies operating these machines; all complaints against video-gambling operatorss must go through an administrative review process where an impartial judge oversees hearings similar to bench trials held before Illinois circuit courts courts before any action can take place against them.
Though it is clear that Illinois has generated millions of revenue through casino gaming, it remains uncertain whether communities are receiving their fair share. At a City Council meeting last week, representatives from Chicago’s small businesses protested the current fee structure as unfair; licensed bars currently pay $500 per machine while gaming companies that own and operate machines pay $1,000 each per machine they have on site – however City’s business leaders argue this fee structure doesn’t adequately compensate them for maintaining them.
The City’s legislative agenda features a bill that would modify fees to more accurately reflect what gaming industries pay in upkeep and staffing expenses, while also permitting licensing more bars to increase total citywide revenues. A similar proposal has been put forth in other cities; its legal counsel expects the state legislature will take up this issue next year.
Gaming Board regulations also cover horse racing, charity bingo and raffle events as well as hosting of poker games without proper state permission. Understanding how Illinois defines gambling is key in order to avoid falling afoul of it. According to Illinois state law, gambling involves engaging in any game of chance or skill when something of value is at stake – this definition includes any form of betting as well as online gaming sites like Zynga Poker. “Game of chance” covers most forms of poker. But even friendly home poker games can get you into legal trouble; police officers have previously infiltrated such home poker sessions and arrested players who ran illegal games of poker – another reason it’s best to stick with regulated venues or charities when gambling; otherwise you risk finding yourself embroiled in serious legal entanglements quickly.