Belleville gives its OK to video gaming at new development

The Belleville City Council on Monday night approved an ordinance that would pave the way for video gaming in the Jack Flash convenience store planned to be built next to the Hofbräuhaus under construction and the planned Hyatt Place hotel off Illinois 15.

The ordinance amends the city’s video gaming and convenience store ordinances so that the Jack Flash would be classified as a truck stop and be allowed to have video gaming, which would still have to be approved by the Illinois Gaming Board.

Convenience stores usually are not allowed to have video gaming terminals but truck stops are allowed to have video gaming, according to the state regulations first approved in 2009. The terminals were activated in 2012.

Bars, veterans clubs, fraternal clubs also are allowed to have video gaming, which produced in $277 million in revenue for the state last year and $246,474 for Belleville.

This story was originally published February 6, 2017 at 7:42 PM with the headline "Belleville gives its OK to video gaming at new development."