CHAMPAIGN After detailed discussion, the city council passed an ordinance Tuesday that will temporarily halt the installation or operation of video-gambling terminals in newly licensed liquor establishments.

The moratorium will last until June 7 and affect every kind of newly licensed establishment containing terminals.

According to the Illinois Gaming Board's Video Gaming Report issued in January, there are 53 spots in Champaign that offer gambling including gambling parlors or cafes and 244 total terminals.

Mayor Deborah Frank Feinen said the suspension's aim isn't to curtail a free market. Rather, she said it's so the council can take the time to decide if it wants to enact a gambling ordinance the city doesn't regulate it separate from regulating alcohol and what its relationship with gambling should look like in the future. She added that the city is also in the process of revising the liquor code.

"It's not a morality issue," Feinen said. "We need to make a decision on how (gambling) will impact the city as a whole."

The only council member not to vote for the ordinance was Tom Bruno, who said gambling is similar to buying a lottery ticket and that it hasn't been identified as a cause of crime.

"I don't want government stepping in to exercise moral judgment every time someone spends their money in a manner I wouldn't spend mine or in a way that's foolish and wasteful," Bruno said.

Fellow council member Matthew Gladney said the government already regulates businesses, especially those dealing with alcohol and drugs.

Council member Greg Stock said he doesn't think the council can definitely say that gambling isn't linked to crime, because that's difficult to determine.

Gambling is "particularly present in low-income areas," Stock said. "I think that makes it borderline predatory for people in bad financial circumstances."

Most council members who supported the ordinance said their constituents contacted them with complaints about the city's gambling offerings.

A study session is slated for April for residents to hash out opinions and ideas on how to move forward.

"I don't think I should tell people how to spend their money, but I also don't want to do any harm," said council member Clarissa Nickerson Fourman. "The amount (of gambling) doesn't bother me; it's the immediate access that people have to go in and feed this thing. It's scary."

Illinois' Video Gaming Act, which legalized terminals in places licensed for alcohol consumption on premises, went into effect in July 2009. It allows for municipalities to ban gambling via an ordinance.

If an establishment violates the temporary moratorium, its liquor licence will immediately be suspended and subject to revocation, according to a city staff report to the council.

In other business, Feinen took time to address President Donald Trump's policies on immigration, saying Champaign is "proud of our strong, diverse community" and encouraging residents to foster a "community free of fear and intimidation."

In that vein, Feinen said the city partnered with the C-U Immigration Forum to provide the public education about immigrant rights and what to do if you encounter discrimination. She said the city will look to partner with other similar groups across the state. In cases of discrimination, Feinen encouraged the person affected to report it to the city's Community Relations Office.

In addition, the council completed the last of its dealings with ex-police Officer Matt Rush by voting unanimously to settle an excessive-force lawsuit filed by Precious Jackson against him and two other officers for $250,000.

After resident complaints and accusations of displays of misconduct, Rush was fired twice by police Chief Anthony Cobb, only to have an arbitrator reverse the decision each time. The city council approved a $50,000 separation agreement in January to end Rush's employment without further court proceedings.

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Champaign council taps brakes on gambling expansion - Champaign/Urbana News-Gazette