05-03-2025
Decatur votes against allowing a new type of gambling device
DECATUR, Ill. (WCIA) — On Monday, Decatur's City Council voted to ban electronic sweepstakes machines.
WCIA talked to someone who helps treat problem gamblers to see what these machines are… Anita Pindiur from the group Way Back Inn.
'They're video gaming terminals that don't have a payout potential, though they are mainly used as entertainment,' Pindiur said.
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They're also known as sweepstakes kiosks. But — a Decatur city official said they're not always free.
'They say that they're a free play, so you don't actually have to put any money in. But we've found through investigation that you do end up having to put money in to end up getting any sort of prize,' Decatur Communications Coordinator Ryan Huffer said.
Huffer said the ban received community support
'The community has been pretty vocal about not wanting more video gaming in the city,' Huffer added.
And Pinduir said they can be a gateway to worse outcomes for people who play.
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'Often depending on how they are, they're kind of their first beginning. So, we know as persons who are at high risk might engage in them and then kind of feel very motivated to start on gambling for more money,' Pinduir said.
City officials said the council had a reason for doing this now.
'Some businesses have been approached here about having them located in the City of Decatur, so we wanted to get ahead of that,' Huffer said.
And it's part of a bigger push from the community against gambling as a whole. The city did a survey asking people their thoughts on the amount of gambling in Decatur.
'Surveys are what they are. But we did get a pretty overwhelming response from the community that there [is] too much gambling,' Huffer said.
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So, he said the council will remain strong on this issue.
'We're just trying to get ahead of it at all times. And again, we've heard from the community that they don't want more video gaming. And the council is also behind that, that reducing the number of video gaming machines is a goal of ours,' Huffer said.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with a gambling addiction Anita Pindiur said there are many resources out there to help. One of those is 1-800-GAMBLER — a phone line where you can get help 24/7.
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