Multiple current bills including HB3733 (Rita), and SB1705 (Cunningham), would close the loophole that allows so-called sweepstakes machines to operate as  slot machines that avoid state and local regulation. This would prevent the unregulated and untaxed gambling that makes a mockery of our gambling regulation and limits the ability of local leaders to prevent unwanted slot machines in their neighborhoods.

These unregulated machines pose a significant risk to those prone to addiction through their prevalence in lower-income parts of communities like Chicago that have taken steps to maintain bans on video slot machines but are unable to regulate these machines.

Read WBEZ's coverage of these machines.

Finally, these machines cannibalize government revenues from other types of already legalized and taxed gambling, including revenues that would be designated for addiction treatment and recovery.

Contact your legislators to tell them to support this bill.