Liquor license denied to business owners wanting to add Video Gaming in Elizabethtown; Village President feels expansion would hurt other businesses in town
By Jennifer Lane
Editor
The popularity of Video Gaming has grown over the past two years in Hardin County. Currently, ACES and E-Town Tap in Elizabethtown, and ROC One Stop in Rosiclare are the only businesses which carry the opportunity to play Video Gaming which is a form of gambling. A whopping amount is played in Hardin County each month. March 2019 statistics showed the combined month’s amount played via all three Hardin County businesses was $599,502.00! That was only one month. Statistics as of March 2019 have shown growth overall since establishments first began offering it.
E’town Riverport Express Owners Patrick Joyner and Kasi Stunson recently looked into adding Video Gaming at their establishment in Elizabethtown. In order to provide Video Gaming, a business would have to obtain a liquor license and become a “Pouring Establishment” or fall under the category of a “Truck Stop”. Stunson approached the Village of Elizabethtown Board in April presenting information about an expansion of her business through Video Gaming and inquired about obtaining a liquor license.
Stunson expressed to the Board that her intention was not to take business from any of the other establishments in town, but to offer Video Gaming to a different clientele who would more prefer a non-bar setting in an area that is closed off from the flow of the regular public. She said they’ve had several requests from customers to add Video Gaming so that they could play it during their lunch or even breakfast. Stunson expressed that she and Joyner really weren’t interested in serving alcohol, but would have to offer a couple of pourable options in order to be eligible to provide Video Gaming. Stunson said they planned to establish a drink limit to customers.
Stunson says she sees a benefit to selling packaged liquor at their store but realizes that it would have a bad impact on the other businesses in town. “I am from here and I’m just looking for ways to offer Video Gaming to a totally different clientele,” said Stunson. “We are not looking to put anybody out of business. They have been here longer than me.”
In June, after not hearing anything from the Board about their request at the April meeting, Stunson approached the Board again with a representative CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
