Downtown Bar in Aurora to Continue Offering VGTs Despite New City Council Rules

A longtime bar situated in downtown Aurora, which was known as The Question Mark, is to continue to offer its video gambling terminals despite the city’s officials to limit the number of the gambling machines available to local customers.

The bar’s name was changed to The Web after the previous owner Bevery Bugbee took over from her mother in 1977, and is to continue operating under the same name under Ms. Bugbee’s nephew Dan Ardelean. Considering the ownership change, now Mr. Ardelean would have to file an application for a new Class A tavern liquor license with the Aurora City officials. The new license is expected to be approved during the regular City Council meeting which is set to take place tomorrow at 6:00 PM.

Currently, The Web features video gambling terminals, but the bar needs new gaming licenses from both the state and the city of Aurora. The new owner of the place revealed that he is currently in talks with the State Gaming Commission regarding the new license. After the state gambling regulatory body provides him with a license, he will have to get a separate license for the gambling terminals from the city officials.

According to Wendy McCambridge, an Aurora City Clerk, getting a new gambling terminals operation license would not be a problem, even though the competent authorities in the city of Aurora have changed the rules about video gambling.

New Rules Regarding VGTs Unveiled by Aurora City Council Earlier in 2018

Earlier in 2018, Aurora officials passed a new set of rules which regulate the number of gambling terminals in the city. The legislative package also includes some rules regulating the geographic distribution of the machines.

In March 2018, the city’s aldermen revealed their decision to put a limit to the number of VGTs in Aurora and to impose bigger taxes on local operators that offer such machines. The decision for the changes in the rules regulating the video gambling offering in the city was made by the Aurora City Council as part of its efforts to find the right balance between the future expansion sought by video gambling on one hand, and protection of the Hollywood Casino’s performance, on the other hand.

Under the new rules, the establishments which offer video gambling must be situated at no less than a mile-and-a-half of each other. The Web, however, is situated closer than that to another bar offering VGTs in downtown Aurora, Miss Lee’s. Still, Ms. McCambridge explained that the rule change applies to new establishments only. Considering the fact that The Web has been in operation through the ownership change, she said that there should be no problem for the bar to meet the City Council’s requirements to get a local gaming license.

The new regulatory provisions announced by the Council earlier this year will see the overall number of video gaming terminals reduced to 200 in the city, with local establishments permitted to offer no more than five machines.