McHenry County towns enact tax on video gambling hours before deadline

Four McHenry County municipalities enacted a one-cent tax on each game played at video gambling terminals ahead of a possible state deadline prohibiting municipalities from creating such a tax.

Officials in Algonquin, McHenry, Lake in the Hills, and Woodstock approved the new tax in emergency meetings Sunday afternoon. A new bill passed by state lawmakers on Thursday included a provision that would prohibit home-rule municipalities from creating the tax beginning Nov. 1. While the bill has not been signed by Gov. JB Pritzker, local governments were working Sunday to get ahead of the deadline in case Pritzker were to sign the bill on Monday and the law took effect.

Under the new ordinances enacted Sunday, a one-cent tax will be charged for every game a person plays on a video gambling terminal in what is known as a “push tax.”

The Algonquin Village Board, McHenry City Council, Lake in the Hills Village Board, and Woodstock City Council all voted unanimously to enact a one-cent push tax beginning Oct. 31 during their emergency meetings Sunday.

Read more: https://www.shawlocal.com/northwest-herald/news/local/2021/10/31/mchenry-county-towns-enact-tax-on-video-gambling-hours-before-deadline/
(Crystal Lake Northwest Herald)