Video gaming thrives at Village Inn – is Jameson’s next?

HUNTLEY – Video gaming has made a successful debut at Huntley’s Village Inn and may be coming to Jameson’s in Sun City later this year.

“We have video gaming now,” reads the huge hand-written notice on the Village Inn’s front window. Folks driv­ing by on Main Street on the town square would have a hard time missing it. At about 1 p.m. on a weekday, there were about a dozen diners in one dining room, and the Huntley Rotary Club was following up its lunch with a business meeting in the other one.

In a partitioned-off, private area in one corner, three peo­ple played electronic games of chance at video gaming devices that were placed in the restau­rant on Dec. 2. Village Inn was the first establishment in Hunt­ley to receive a license for video gaming in the state’s latest pro­gram to raise money. About two hours later, there was no one at the restaurant’s dining tables, but there were four people in the gaming area.

After about two months of having the gaming machines, Village Inn owner Bill Galanis said the machines are one of the best things he has done in his eatery.

“We are doing very well with them,” he said. “More people are coming to our place, and they are eating and playing the machines. They say they don’t have to go to Elgin and the boat [Grand Victoria Casino]. They can entertain themselves here.”

Galanis also said the approval process and the installation of the machines and subsequent maintenance service has been excellent.

“I applied for a license in the summer, and I was approved two months later, in October,” he said. “The installation and service of the machines by a company in Crystal lake has been outstanding. When I call for service, they are here in min­utes. We are very happy with this whole arrangement. Fridays are our big day, both for dining and video gaming.”

The video gaming machines at Village Inn (pictured) have
been a success according to owner Bill Galanis.
(Chris LaPelusa/Sun Day Photo)

The partitioned area where his machines are located provides privacy for gaming customers while maintaining the machines in a convenient place for all cus­tomers, Galanis said.

“We are a family-oriented res­taurant, and we are maintaining that reputation while providing an additional entertainment ser­vice to our customers,” he said. “It is a win-win for everyone.”

Jameson’s is one of seven other Huntley establishments whose license applications to the Illinois Gaming Board are pending. Jameson’s operates a restaurant and pub in Prai­rie Lodge and serves the food and beverage interests of Sun City activity groups at events in Drendel Ballroom.

Jameson’s manager Dmitri Papadatos said at the end of January he had not decided how many machines he would have (state law permits up to five in any one establishment) and where they would be located.

“We have applied for a li­cense, and when we get it later this year, we will have meetings and make decisions as to exact­ly how we will set these up,” he said.

The other local establishments that have applications pending are Park­side Pub, Offie’s Tap, Bowl-Hi Lanes, Sponsors Bar and Grill, Sammy’s Res­taurant and Bar, and the American Le­gion Hall.

Video gaming devices are modern versions of slot machines, which have been a staple in casinos and on cruise ships and in public places and busi­nesses in Nevada for decades. The state’s Riverboat Gambling Act was approved in 1990, and 10 licenses for casinos have been issued to private entrepreneurs. The IGB regulates the operation of all gambling facilities, as­sesses taxes on their earnings, and sets standards for all gambling activities.

In the video gaming program, the IGB conducts background checks on video gambling device manufactur­ers, installers, and service technicians. The board also checks out all the estab­lishments that apply for licenses. The current average waiting time to com­plete a licensing process is six to seven months, according to the IGB website and local business spokespersons.

Illinois communities that do not wish to permit video gaming within their borders may “opt out” of the state’s gaming program. Area communities near Huntley that have “opted out” include: Algonquin, Barrington, Bata­via, Campton hills, Crystal Lake, Elgin (which already has the Victoria ca­sino), Cary, Sleepy Hollow, and West Dundee. Some of the area communities that have said “yes” to video gaming, in addition to Huntley, are: Lake in the Hills, Marengo, Gilberts, East Dundee, Woodstock, and Hampshire.