At the urging of local clergy and anti-gambling advocates, Orland Park officials will vote early next month on whether or not to ban video gambling in the village. Trustee James Dodge made a motion at the Village Board meeting Monday to place the tabled issue on the board’s Dec. 7 meeting agenda.

Clergy from 15 Christian churches and the Muslim prayer center in Orland Park signed a petition asking Mayor Dan McLaughlin and village trustees to adopt an ordinance banning video gambling in the village. Many attended the board meeting Monday.

The Rev. Ted Jones, pastor of Faith United Methodist Church of Orland Park, told the Village Board that allowing video poker machines in the village is “not good government, not good economics and does not provide a better way of life. These machines do not belong in our community, we are better off without them. There are greater social costs to allowing these machines. Please listen to the growing list of local communities that have passed ordinances banning the machines.”

The other Orland Park clergy members who signed the antigambling petition presented Monday are Pastor Sam Lyons and the Rev. Vernon Lyons of Ashburn Baptist Church; the Rev. Howard Hoekstra of Calvary Church; the Rev. Raymond Rohlfs of Christ Lutheran Church; Elder Steven M. Grutzius of Christian Heritage Church of Orland Park; the Rev. Iain Wright of Covenant OPC; the Rev. Jocelyn Thornton, senior pastor of Emmanuel Covenant Church; Ryan Cooper, associate pastor of Hope Covenant Church; the Rev. Steven Lange, pastor of Living Word Lutheran Church; the Revs. Gerald R. Erffmeyer and Marshall Holtvluwer of Orland Park Christian Reformed Church; the Rev. Michael W O’Connell of Our Lady of the Woods Roman Catholic Church; Tim Harlow, senior pastor of Parkview Christian Church; Elder Thomas Morrissy of Southwest Seventh Day Adventist Church; Bishop Mark Furstenau of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Orland Park Ward and Imam Yaser Issa of the Orland Park Prayer Center.

Gov. Pat Quinn signed House Bill 255, which legalizes video poker, on July 13 following approval by both the House and Senate. Officials say the bill is expected to generate more than $1 billion a year and will help pay for almost $30 billion in capital projects. The bill also calls for expansion of the lottery, increasing liquor taxes and applying sales tax to items such as candy and non-carbonated beverages.