Julie’s Video Poker and Slots and other gaming cafes in Moline are fighting to stay open as a 2022 ordinance phasing out Class K liquor licenses moves forward.
MOLINE, Ill. — Gaming cafes like Julie’s Video Poker and Slots, Suzi’s Video Poker and Slots and Sofie’s Slots could be forced to close as the city’s 2022 ordinance eliminating Class K liquor licenses nears the end of its sunset period.
Julie’s has operated for eight years, providing what managing operator Rachel Cox calls a distinct experience.
“It’s really a unique environment that’s different from your bar, your tavern, even the restaurants that have the gaming machines,” Cox said.
When Julie’s first opened in 2017, Cox says the business was given a Class B liquor license, which is meant for taverns or bars. Then, when renewing their license in 2018, Julie’s received the Class K liquor license.
“I just received a letter in the mail saying that we were now being changed to Class K, so it was a little bit of a shock,” Cox said. “I didn’t understand why the city would do it. But at that time it didn’t make a difference. I was still being able to operate under the same regulations.”
At that time, the cost of the liquor license also changed, from $1,400 for a Class B license to $5,000 for a Class K license.
Then, in January of 2022, Moline city council passed an ordinance eliminating Class K liquor licenses. Cox says the owners and employees at Julie’s was caught off-guard by the ordinance.
“We did not know that there was any discussion about eliminating us,” she said.
She says she only learned about it after the ordinance passed.
“We didn’t find out until a later training session with the city to know that we were actually being eliminated from the city,” Cox said.
Class K license holders have been trying to make their case to stay. They say that in their ten years in the city of Moline, they’ve contributed nearly $2 million in local economic impact and over $7 million to the state of Illinois.
“I think that it would be almost negligent of the council to disregard the financial contributions that we make,” Cox said.
Gaming cafés do have the option of transitioning into a bar, tavern, or restaurant. But Cox says that’s unpleasable for Julie’s, as it would require additional space and extra staff.
“Our physical space is not such that we could add a kitchen or have a large bar,” Cox said.
On top of that, Cox argues that the customers who attend the gaming bars are not searching for the environment that’s offered by other venues.
“In our locations, gaming is the primary focus,” Cox said.
With the ordinance in place, gaming cafés expect they’ll have to close at the end of January 2027, but Cox says they do not intend to step aside quietly.
“It’s not something to just, you know, it’s done, you guys are closed, end of story,” she said. “It would put a lot of people out of jobs, and it would really be a loss to the community.”
Cox has launched a petition to rally support.
“We started a petition this last Friday, and in just a matter of days we’ve had almost 500 signatures showing the support,” she said.
Cox and other gaming café owners invited all eight Moline alderpeople to visit their businesses. Only three accepted the invitation.
One of the people who accepted the offer was Seventh Ward Alderperson Anna Castro. Along with her, Fifth Ward Alderperson Jessica Finch and Sixth Ward Alderperson Dan McNeil visited the gaming cafes.
Castro says the decision to eliminate the licenses predates many current council members.
“There hasn’t been any conversations amongst the current council about this. I don’t think that there’s really an appetite for change,” Castro said. “I have met with a few of the business owners, and I am not necessarily opposed to it, but I know others really aren’t in favor of it.”
In an email to News 8, Finch said, “Currently a few of us are speaking with the business owners who would be affected. My hope is we can resolve this issue.”
For Cox, keeping the cafés open is about more than her own livelihood — it’s about the broader impact their closure could have on the community.
A link to the petition can be found here.