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Gov. J.B. Pritzker will once again deliver daily coronavirus briefings alongside the Illinois' top public health official as coronavirus cases rise statewide during the pandemic, sparking concerns over a "second wave" of the virus. "While we continue to see a safer...

Video gaming revenues are going to be lower in 2020. That news should not shock anyone as gaming terminals were shut down by Gov. J.B. Pritzker from March 16 through the beginning of July in a way to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. But the loss of the wagering in that...

Restaurant workers in Illinois affected by the COVID-19 pandemic can get financial help. The Illinois Restaurant Association announced today that it’s accepting applications from employees who have been diagnosed with the virus and those who have been out of work for...

As Edwardsville prepares to put a non-binding referendum on video gaming on the April 2021 ballot, neighboring munis that initially banned video gambling are dusting off the issue for a second or third look. “One of the reasons I brought it up is the current economic...

While businesses across multiple industries are coping with staggering losses due to the pandemic, video gambling took only a slight dip in Monroe County in the months it has been open since COVID-19 hit Illinois. According to data from the Illinois Gaming Board, the...

Champaign is expecting to see significant declines in major revenues, such as the video gaming tax, averaging a 41% drop. That's the second-biggest drop in revenue, right behind hotel tax. Cities all over Central Illinois are having to reflect on the damage done and...

Bar owner Nick Fosberg is not going to stop serving customers inside Fozzy’s Bar and Grill, the Loves Park business he opened last year. Yes, he’s aware of the state’s order directing Rockford-area bars and restaurants to stop all indoor dining and bar service until...

Metro-east business owners expressed relief after word spread Friday that restaurants and bars could reopen for indoor service after more than a month under extra COVID-19 restrictions. Mary Gutzler, operations manager at Copper Fire in downtown Belleville, said she...

"Could I have five more ketchup packets?” A customer at Parkside Pub in Huntley was just served a burger and fries and caught the server’s attention. The customer figured two ketchup packets on her plate weren’t enough. The number of ketchup packets served to a...

When Illinois passed sweeping legislation last year to expand gambling in the state, it was envisioned as a way to generate increased tax revenue. But the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a much different result, with gambling tax revenue down by 13.4% for the first full...

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - Governor J.B. Pritzker’s new mandate restricting indoor dining in our region goes into effect in two days, but many Stateline restaurant and bar owners aren’t sure if they’re going to comply. “It’s a tough pill to swallow because it’s going to...

ROCKFORD — Starting Saturday, Rockford-area bars and restaurants will revert back to outdoor dining and curbside pickup only. Attendance at funerals and weddings will be capped at 25, and party buses will be banned because of a spike in COVID-19 cases. Gov. JB...