Oswego Village Board grants video gaming licenses for two more Speedway gas stations

The Oswego Village Board recently granted liquor and video gambling licenses to two existing Speedway gas stations within the community.

The proprietors sought two of the remaining four available gas station video gambling licenses for their establishments located at 1830 Route 30 and 4032 Route 34 prior to the implementation of restrictions on video gambling in the town, Chicago Tribune reported.

These licenses were officially approved by the board on March 18.

In a decision made on February 5, trustees voted unanimously to limit gas station video gambling licenses to 11. With seven gas stations already equipped with video gambling facilities, the approval for the Speedway sites will add two more to the roster.

Speedway had submitted applications for the licenses in May and June of the previous year, predating the village's enforcement of new limits on video gambling.

In conjunction with the licensing process, Speedway also sought Class B-2 liquor licenses for its two gas stations. Currently, both locations possess a Class F-1 liquor license, permitting off-premises consumption. The Class B-2 classification enables the sale of alcoholic beverages for off-premise consumption as well as beer and wine for on-site consumption, to be utilized at the gas stations as part of their video gambling operation, the report said.

Officials have stated that Speedway plans to install five video gambling machines at its 4032 Route 34 location and six machines at its 1830 Route 30 site.

The village has mandated that the designated video gambling areas at the gas stations be separated by a permanent barrier, with entry restricted to individuals aged 21 and older. Additionally, Speedway will be obligated to construct a secured gambling room with a door requiring buzzer access from the counter. Village officials have indicated that a chime will signal when the door is opened and closed.

Trustee Karin McCarthy-Lange reiterated her stance on the gambling issue during the review process, echoing sentiments expressed during her election campaign.

"I am really not for gaming. I am glad that you got grandfathered in before we restricted it. I am really not in favor of it at gas stations especially, but it was a compromise we made so we could wrangle in the number of licenses we have out there," she was quoted as saying in the report. 

Speedway representatives told trustees that video gambling attracts new customers and helps with in-store sales.

Annually, the village accumulates over $400,000 in revenue from video gaming, which is allocated to the village's general fund.