How Popular Is Video Gaming in Oak Forest?

By Amie Schaenzer, Patch Editor

Nearly a year after video gambling went live in Illinois, hundreds of video gaming terminals are now up and running in restaurants and businesses throughout the suburbs. 

While some municipalities have allowed video gaming, others have not. More than 80 communities in the Chicago suburbs offered video gaming as of August 2013, according to data gathered by Patch.com from the State of Illinois Video Gaming Board website. 

Businesses have credited the addition of video gambling as an added source of revenue. A portion of video gaming proceeds also goes back to the state and local municipality in the form of a tax. 

Of the communities included in Patch's video gaming map, there are 474 businesses that are offering a total of 1,988 video gaming terminals in the suburbs as of August 2013.
 
One suburban county recently reversed course on an earlier ban. The Lake County Board last month repealed a ban on video gambling and drafted a new ordinance allowing it, according to the Daily Herald. 

Which Communities Offer Video Gambling? 

Scroll over the map above to see how many businesses offered video gaming machines in your town as of August 2013 and how many terminals are currently live in communities throughout the Chicago suburbs. Patch.com used data published on the state of Illinois Video Gaming Board website to create the map. 

The different colored markers on the map indicate the number of terminals in each community. Here is what each marker stands for: 

• Blue: 0 to 10 terminals
• Purple: 10 to 25 terminals
• Green:  25 to 50
• Yellow: 50 to 100
• Red: 100 to 150

Here is a break down of those communities and the number of businesses and video gaming terminals available in the communities: 

OAK FOREST
Businesses With Video Gaming/August 2013: 9
Total Terminals/August 2013: 42

SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES

Chicago Heights
Businesses With Video Gaming/August 2013: 4
Total Terminals/August 2013: 16

Crestwood
Businesses With Video Gaming/August 2013: 6
Total Terminals/August 2013: 30

Homewood
Businesses With Video Gaming/August 2013: 2
Total Terminals/August 2013: 8

Mokena
Businesses With Video Gaming/August 2013: 1
Total Terminals/August 2013: 3

Palos Hills
Businesses With Video Gaming/August 2013: 4
Total Terminals/August 2013: 18

YOUR TURN: Do you think Oak Forest video gaming terminals have been a good addition to the businesses that operate them? Share your thoughts in the comments section.