At pizza place, nobody getting rich on video gambling

Every Wednesday during these tough economic times, Rosatis of Lakemoor lures its lunch crowd with a half-price pasta special. Regular customer Todd McCarthy opts for the $3 pizza slice deal, but ends up spending 18 bucks this time.

Grabbing a bite before starting his second shift as a deliver truck driver, the 24-year-old Wauconda resident enjoys his pizza and then wanders into Rosatis new video gaming lounge, where he loses $15 in 15 minutes playing the new gambling games now operating legally at 66 restaurants and bars across the state, with hundreds more on the verge of opening.

Thats the way it goes with video poker, shrugs McCarthy, who says he is a regular customer at area casinos. Im glad I didnt bring a lot of money in here. I didnt know these things were open yet.

During this first lunch hour with gambling on the Rosatis menu, most customers are here just to eat. Rosatis is a neighborhood place that attracts working people, families, senior citizens, kids sports teams, birthday parties and NASCAR fans on race days, says Anthony Patti, the 63-year-old co-owner. He was a full-time carpet contractor in Bloomingdale when he got into the restaurant business in 2005 as a way to supplement his carpet income. Now carpet installation is his part-time job.

In 2008, when everything dumped, it was a struggle to stay in business, says Patti, who lives in Lakemoor now and saw nearby businesses fold up shop. The gambling is a sideline to help out a little.

Among the first Illinois business owners granted a license for video gambling, Patti figures he spent about $10,000 to turn what had been his office into a nicely carpeted lounge big enough for five machines and a stool in front of each, with a window and a glass door that locks.

I hired a few extra people, too, Patti says, noting that, by law, someone 21 or older and approved by the Illinois Gaming Board must always monitor the room to make sure no underage people try to gamble. His wall already boasts a certificate from the village and police department for not serving alcohol to minors.

We hired six part-time people to help in all parts of the restaurant, notes Patti, who says he hopes the video games will attract more diners and allow him to stay open later.

By state statute, each of the five machines accepts a maximum of $100 at a time, allows bettors to wager anywhere from a penny to $2 on a play, and pays out a maximum of $500 for each jackpot. The machines, which offer a variety of games, operate on cash but print winnings (or money that wasnt lost) on a voucher that is fed into a heavily secured ATM-like machine that spits out the winnings and records every transaction.

The machinery and security cameras for Rosatis cost about $100,000, says Lynne Morris, the CEO of Morris Gaming in Skokie, one of the vendors licensed to put in systems around the state.

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At pizza place, nobody getting rich on video gambling