For months, debate over the controversial proliferation of “sweepstakes” machines in Evanston has divided aldermen as to whether or not the gambling-like kiosks should be allowed to remain and be regulated or be banned entirely.
While many neighboring municipalities have banned them, Evanston City Council at its July 27 meeting decided that allowing and regulating them is a better bet.
Video gambling has been banned within the city’s limits since 2009. However, officials in other municipalities view these so-called sweepstakes machines as operating inside a legal gray area relative to state gambling laws.
Sweepstakes machines work by having players convert their cash into gift cards or credits they can later use as game entries, which circumvents Illinois law by not necessitating a direct purchase to enter.
