Bloomington businesses to receive partial refund on video gaming fees

Posted on April 28, 2020
video gambling
The city is refunding 12 percent of license fees, or a total of about $15,000, representing 46 days this fiscal year that businesses have not been able to make money from their gaming terminals. (File photo from Flickr/roundnoon)

 

By HOI ABC

BLOOMINGTON – Bloomington city government will return some of the money it received from businesses with video gambling machines because the gaming terminals have been shutdown during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The city council Monday night voted unanimously to revise its emergency ordinance, which now authorizes the city to return a portion of the $500 per terminal license fee, according to our news partner HOI ABC.

The city is refunding 12 percent of license fees, or a total of about $15,000, representing 46 days this fiscal year that businesses have not been able to make money from their gaming terminals.

The state has prohibited the use of video gambling machines to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The city intends to refund license fees for the amount of time the terminals won’t be operating next fiscal year, which starts Friday.

The council also agreed to language changes in the emergency ordinance that allows the city manager, with the mayor’s consent, to prorate other annual fees paid for various city licenses.

Council members directed city staffers to investigate returning fees for liquor license holders whose businesses have closed during pandemic.

Mayor Tari Renner noted some liquor license holders might not be eligible for refunds because they’re providing customers with curbside pick-up of alcohol.

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