IN THE NEWS

Illinois' mask mandate applies "even outside," Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Wednesday, noting that residents should still be wearing masks even if they're just walking down the street. "Even outside, if you're outside and walking around and can't maintain social distance -...

Brookfield village trustees at their next meeting on July 27 are expected to allow bars and restaurants that have video gambling machines to increase the number of terminals in those businesses from five to six. The move comes just weeks after bars and restaurants...

BATAVIA – The Batavia City Council approved to waive the city's annual liquor tax renewal fees for fiscal year 2020 by a vote of 7 to 6 at Monday night's meeting. The ultimate waiver of the fee is through an application process, not done automatically. The Committee...

The Support Main Street Illinois Coalition (SMSIL) has launched the Play It Safe Illinois campaign to encourage locations to follow CDC guidelines in order to ensure that recently re-opened bars and restaurants across the state to do get shut down again. By signing...

Illinois is heading in the wrong direction in stemming the spread of COVID-19, and officials should consider bringing back some restrictions, particularly on indoor dining at bars and restaurants, some health experts warn as the state suffers an increase in the number...

 It has been seven days since Illinois casinos and gaming facilities reopened with restrictions on July 1st. Maxamillion's is a local gaming parlor that has adapted to the new state guidelines. The staff at Maxamillion's in Quincy is working to ensure customers remain...

Bracing for a busy July Fourth weekend, liquor commissions urged establishments to comply with state health guidelines to avoid consequences. As COVID-19 cases heavily increase in other areas across the United States, the state and local liquor officials said they are...

The Illinois Lottery has again temporarily closed its claim centers, after reopening four of the five statewide last week amid a backlog of unclaimed prizes. When the Illinois Lottery opened the claim centers on Wednesday, it processed more than 1,300 claims. Many...

Bands playing in the parking lot. Hungry people eating meals inside. The excitement of a winning spin on a video gaming machine. And a full staff ready to cater to the needs of the customers. Oh, what a difference a week can make. Prior to June 26, when the state...

Because there hasn’t been video gambling since mid-March due to COVID-19 restrictions, state and local tax coffers are out more than $105 million dollars compared to last year, but those machines at your local pub can be fired back up soon. The Illinois Gaming Board...

Gov. JB Pritzker signed SB 516 into law on Tuesday, finalizing a gaming package that paves the way for a Chicago casino by reworking existing tax structures, allowing gaming at the State Fair and providing relief during the pandemic. The bill is intended to fund...

July 1 marks the start of a new fiscal year in Illinois.  It also means several new laws take effect.  Here is a rundown of some of those: Minimum Wage The minimum wage is going up in the state.  Workers across most of Illinois will see a boost in their pay to...