WOODSTOCK – The Mc­Hen­ry County Board on Tuesday became the latest Illinois government to ban video gambling.

Board members voted, 13-10 with one abstention, to ban the gaming machines from bars, restaurants and other liquor-serving establishments in unincorporated areas. The county joins Cook, Lake and DuPage counties, as well as at least 30 municipal governments, in banning the machines, which are part of the General Assembly’s plan to pay for the state’s $31 billion capital plan.

The county ban does not apply to municipal governments, which have the power to decide the issue for themselves.

Opponents said that the societal cost of expanded gaming would far outweigh the money that governments would receive. Board member Paula Yensen, D-Lake in the Hills, called video gambling “a sucker’s bet.”

“Supporters of video gambling love the idea of easy money for the state, but they ignore the very real and substantial law enforcement and social service costs,” Yensen said.

No board member spoke in defense of video gambling before the vote, but some urged patience and said that a ban could wait until the Illinois Gaming Board devised the rules for businesses to possess the machines. Board member Marc Munaretto, R-Algonquin, tried to table a vote on the ordinance until March, which board members rejected, 10-13.

“This County Board has a history of making informed decisions, and by acting on this today, we are violating that work ethic,” Munaretto said.

Gov. Pat Quinn in July signed video gambling into law to help pay for just less than 30 percent of the capital bill, but the law allows county and municipal governments to opt out of the funding mechanism. The law allows establishments that serve liquor to have up to five machines. State officials have said that any government that opts out will not lose its projects under the state’s first capital plan in more than a decade.

McHenry County has about $315 million in road, school and other infrastructure improvements under the plan, state Sen. Pam Althoff, R-McHenry, has told board members. Major projects include a full Interstate 90-Route 47 interchange, and the long-delayed Algonquin western bypass.

Althoff had pleaded with the board in the past not to rush into a ban. The board’s Liquor and License Committee at first appeared content with an advisory referendum after supporters of video gambling filled an Oct. 7 public hearing, but quickly reconsidered after hearing that the General Assembly would consider removing the opt-out clause during the fall veto session in October. Such legislation did not materialize. County Board members voted Nov. 3 against placing an advisory referendum on the Feb. 2, 2010, primary ballot.

“Ultimately the decision was in the hands of the County Board, and they voted to ban it, and I will respect that decision,” Althoff said.

State Rep. Jack Franks, D-Marengo, vehemently opposed video gambling. He released his annual constituent survey Monday, which showed that 61 percent of the 1,000 responding households opposed a video gambling expansion, and 83 percent supported a referendum. Franks commended the County Board “for doing the right thing,” and said video gambling should never have been a funding component of the capital plan.

County residents on both sides of the issue took about 30 minutes before the vote to address board members. Old Rivers Inn owner Bob McDaniel said a ban would hurt his business on Route 14 between Woodstock and Harvard. Crystal Lake resident Chris McSwain, a vice president for coin-operated game machine company A.H. Entertainers, likewise spoke against a ban.

“This county needs roads, bridges, bypasses and schools,” McSwain said. “That’s what this capital plan is all about, and this is what video gaming helps support.”

But McHenry resident Joyce Story was among those who saw it differently.

“It’s not about the capital plan. It’s not about monies coming to our county. It’s about video poker,” Story said. “It’s not about jobs; it’s about addictions.”

Board member Sandra Fay Salgado, R-McHenry, said she would be open to revisiting the ban once the gaming board develops the rules and enforcement procedures. But she said that it will take “a lot more than fancy talk from state legislators” to get her to support video gambling.

The lone abstention came from Randy Donley, R-Union, who was forced to recuse himself because his family owns Donley’s Old West Steakhouse, which has a county liquor license. Donley, who opposes a ban, expressed his frustration over being unable to weigh in on the matter as a restaurant owner.

“I represent a group in this county, and I was totally silenced,” Donley said.

How they voted

The McHenry County Board voted Tuesday, 13-10 with one abstention, to ban video gambling in unincorporated areas.

Voting for the ban were Yvonne Barnes, R-Cary; Sue Draffkorn, R-Wonder Lake; Ed Dvorak, R-Crystal Lake; John Hammerand, R-Wonder Lake; James Heisler, R-Crystal Lake; James Kennedy, D-Lake in the Hills; Mary McCann, R-Woodstock; Virginia Peschke, R-Woodstock; Sandra Fay Salgado, R-McHenry; Kathleen Bergan Schmidt, D-Crystal Lake; Ersel Schuster, R-Woodstock; Barbara Wheeler, R-Crystal Lake; and Paula Yensen, D-Lake in the Hills.

Voting against the ban were Robert Bless, R-Fox River Grove; Scott Breeden, R-Lakewood; Mary Donner, R-Crystal Lake; Tina Hill, R-Woodstock; Ken Koehler, R-Crystal Lake; Pete Merkel, R-McHenry; Anna May Miller, R-Cary; Marc Munaretto, R-Algonquin; Lyn Orphal, R-Crystal Lake; and Daniel Ryan, R-Huntley.

Member Randy Donley, R-Union, abstained on the advice of the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office.