Oswego has reduced the one-year waiting period before establishments in the village’s downtown can apply for video gambling licenses.
The Oswego Village Board recently voted 4-3 to reduce the amount of time from one year to six months for downtown restaurants, bars, breweries and wineries to be in business before they can obtain a video gambling license.
The change to village code is only for establishments in the downtown tax increment financing district, village officials said.
Those voting in favor were Trustees Tom Guist, Kit Kuhrt and Jennifer Jones Sinnott. Voting the other way were Trustees Karin McCarthy-Lange, Karen Novy and Andrew Torres.
Village President Ryan Kauffman broke the tie vote when he voted in support of reducing the waiting period by six months.
The Village Board then voted 4-3 to approve a video gambling license for Nash Vegas Saloon in downtown Oswego. The establishment opened in August 2024, village officials said.
The owner of Nash Vegas requested the Village Board reconsider the one-year requirement for video gambling license approvals for businesses in the downtown area, Oswego Village Clerk Tina Touchette said in her report to trustees at the meeting.
A reason cited for making the change was that the pandemic had impacted the restaurant industry nationwide, including Oswego’s downtown area. The added revenue generated from video gambling provides another revenue resource for businesses, she said.
Trustees voted 6-0 to approve a video gambling license for Freddie’s Off the Chain restaurant in downtown Oswego as well at the recent meeting.
The village has received approximately $1.5 million in video gambling revenues since 2022, Touchette said.
“Of this revenue, approximately $173,045 was generated from our downtown businesses,” she said.
Oswego has 10 gambling cafes plus video gambling licenses have been issued to nine gas stations and applications from two more gas stations are pending, Touchette said.
Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
