Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Video Gaming topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Zion council denies Anna's Marketplace request to add video gaming terminals
Summary
After an extended presentation and council questioning of data linking gaming to fuel sales, the Zion City Council voted 5–0 to deny a request that would have allowed video gaming terminals at Anna’s Marketplace, which the owner said would help recapture local gaming revenue lost across the border.
The Zion City Council on June 16 denied a request by Anna’s Marketplace to allow video gaming terminals at the convenience store on Illinois Route 173, rejecting the measure after more than an hour of testimony and council questioning.
Owner Nick Harris told the council Anna’s had seen pump volume fall from 1.6 million gallons in 2017 to 629,000 last year and argued that nearby stations with video gaming were able to subsidize fuel discounts that put his business at a competitive disadvantage. “Those machines pay for that discount,” Harris said, and he added the municipal 5% share of net terminal income should flow to Zion rather than neighboring municipalities.
Councilors pressed Harris on the data and causation behind his claim that gaming terminals directly caused the drop in fuel sales. Commissioners said comparing gallons sold to gaming‑revenue totals mixes units and does not by itself prove causation. Director Bronson told the council Zion already has 65 active machines and that the broader area—Zion, Wadsworth and Beach Park—has 243 active machines online, expressing concern that adding terminals could further saturate the market.
Commissioner questions focused on whether gaming at convenience stores primarily attracts ancillary, in‑store spend or redistributes destination gambling customers. Harris replied that convenience gambling captures customers already in the store and said municipal gaming revenue currently benefits neighboring jurisdictions. He urged a narrowly tailored license or special dispensation for his station because of its border location.
After discussion, a motion to deny the request passed on a council roll call (motion carried by recorded vote). The council did not adopt a new liquor license classification or direct staff to draft one. The council thanked Harris for presenting the data and explaining the local impacts, and the denial closes this request unless the owner returns with new material or the council revisits licensing policy.
