Batavia's Committee of the Whole has recommended approval of three ordinances that would cap the number of video gambling establishments in the city at 14, set new location restrictions near schools, churches and parks, and formally classify where the machines can operate under city zoning code. The full City Council could vote on the package as soon as Monday, October 5.
The city currently has 13 video gambling licenses, including eight in the downtown mixed-use district, with one additional application pending, according to city figures cited by the Aurora Beacon-News. The first of the three proposed ordinances would lock in a citywide ceiling of 14 licenses while capping the downtown district specifically at nine, a split designed to keep gambling machines from clustering in the historic commercial core even as the city allows modest growth elsewhere. Under the proposal, the committee could still raise or lower that citywide limit over time as license holders apply for or surrender licenses, per city documents.
Business Owners Clash Over Whether the Cap Helps or Hurts
Not everyone on the committee or in the business community is on board. Tim Lanci argued the proposed cap amounts to a barrier to entry for businesses, saying the city ought to be focused on filling empty storefronts rather than closing off opportunities. Christopher Solfa went further, saying he saw no problem with the city's current regulations and arguing Batavia is overregulating video gambling based on personal views rather than demonstrated harm.
Other members pushed back in favor of tighter limits. Tony Malay called the proposed change a good compromise, while Kevin Malone said he supports separating downtown video gambling licenses from those allowed elsewhere in the city, preserving a lower concentration in the district most visible to shoppers and diners. The first ordinance ultimately won the committee's recommendation, though Alan Wolff, Solfa and Lanci all voted against it.
Location Rules Squeak Through on a Narrow Vote
The second ordinance, which sets location criteria for where gambling establishments can operate, passed by the narrowest of margins. As proposed, it could prohibit new video gambling establishments from abutting a religious institution or school and could require a minimum separation of 100 feet from schools or religious institutions. The committee rejected extending that buffer to parks, reaching consensus on a 100-foot buffer from schools or religious institutions.
Illinois law already limits how close video gambling locations can be to schools and churches, according to Abby Beck. State law also imposes a 100-foot restriction near schools or places of worship. Under the Batavia proposal, an existing licensed location that falls out of compliance with the new rules could still transfer its license to a new owner and operator within one year, per city documents. Despite that flexibility, the location ordinance drew opposition from Robin Barraza, Jennifer Baerren, Wolff, Solfa, Bob White and Lanci, all of whom voted against it even as it advanced.
Zoning Change Clears Up Where Machines Are Allowed
The third ordinance addresses zoning rather than numbers, making video gambling establishments a permitted use in all districts where they are currently allowed and adding a formal definition for a video gaming cafe. That new definition does not open the door to the format, however: the ordinance continues to prohibit video gaming cafes as a use in Batavia. It, too, was recommended for approval, with Wolff, Solfa, Baerren and Lanci voting against it.
The zoning language followed a public hearing held by Batavia's Plan Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals on August 19, which reviewed the proposed text amendments changing how video gambling establishments are classified under the City of Batavia's code. That review was required before the zoning changes could move to the Committee of the Whole and, now, to the full council.
Why City Hall Is Watching the Money Closely
The stakes for Batavia's treasury are real, if modest on a monthly basis. In April, the city's then-13 licensed gaming locations generated $17,781.27 in direct municipal tax revenue from $355,260.28 in net wagering losses, according to figures compiled by the Batavia 5th Ward blog. Zooming out, patrons wagered nearly $214 million on video gaming terminals across Batavia establishments between July 2021 and July 2026, resulting in roughly $19 million in net terminal income, the same blog reports. That growth tracks a broader expansion in the number of active locations, which rose from eight or nine between 2021 and 2023 to a peak of 14 locations housing 63 terminals between 2024 and 2026.
Under the Illinois Video Gaming Act, net terminal income is taxed at 35%, with 30% flowing to state funds — primarily the Capital Projects Fund — and 5% returned directly to the host municipality, according to Shaw Local. State law also caps how many terminals a single non-truck-stop establishment, such as a bar or restaurant, can operate: six machines, up from five after a 2019 legislative update, while licensed truck stops may run up to 10. Illinois municipalities retain broad authority under the law to prohibit video gambling altogether or impose their own licensing caps, fees and zoning restrictions beyond the state floor, per the Illinois Gaming Board.
Batavia's debate also comes as the regional gambling landscape shifts. A new $360 million Hollywood Casino resort in neighboring Aurora is scheduled to open in mid-2026, introducing major commercial casino competition to Kane County that could alter video gaming volume at nearby municipal locations, per the Batavia 5th Ward blog. Statewide, municipalities collected $160 million in video gaming tax distributions in 2025 — a 5% increase over 2024 across 9,441 licensed locations — according to the Daily Herald, underscoring how widespread the revenue debate has become for suburban governments trying to balance steady tax income against concerns about machine saturation.
With the Committee of the Whole's recommendations now headed to the dais, the full City Council is expected to take up all three ordinances for final approval as soon as Monday. Given how narrowly the location ordinance cleared committee, it remains to be seen whether all three measures will pass the council intact.
