2020 Readers’ Choice Awards

For years the State Journal-Register’s Readers’ Choice Awards has highlighted top businesses and services in the Springfield area selected by readers. Throughout those years, J&J Gaming locations have been nominated in the category, “Best Place for Video Gaming”, because of being number one in service, best selection of games, and having a clean and friendly atmosphere.

The 2020 Readers’ Choice Awards ballot opens on January 26, 2020 and patrons can cast their vote for their favorite J&J Gaming location at sjrreaderschoice.com. Winners will be announced in April 2020.

This ballot covers the surrounding counties:
AUBURN
CASS
CHATHAM
CHRISTIAN
LOGAN
MACOUPIN
MENARD
MONTGOMERY
MORGAN
NEW BERLIN
PAWNEE
PLEASANT PLAINS
ROCHESTER
SANGAMON
SHERMAN

For a list of J&J locations to vote on, click here!

J&J Winter Spectacular – Completed!

The J&J Winter Spectacular was our promotion where every establishment had a winner! Patrons could visit each establishment to see what prize(s) they were giving away! Prizes consisted of one or more of the following items (1 winner per prize):

• DMI Sports Dartboard Cabinet Set with Electronic Scorer
• Toshiba Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer and Digital Amplifier
• Samsung 50” 4K UHD Smart LED TV

Winners of each prize can be found at participating establishments!

For participating locations, click here!

The promotion ran January 27, 2020 – February 28, 2020. Gaming patrons (21 or older) entered by completing and submitting the requested information on the J&J Giveaway App that is on the J&J tablet near the gaming area at the participating establishments.

Patrons could see attendant at each participating establishment for official rules and regulations. There was a limit of one entry per person per day per location. No purchase necessary. Winners were drawn at random.

J&J Ventures Gaming Acquires Tap Room Gaming

December 27, 2019 (EFFINGHAM, IL) – J&J Ventures, celebrating its 90th year, announced today its acquisition of Tap Room Gaming. In the transaction, J&J is purchasing all gaming and amusement operations of Tap Room Gaming, a leading supplier of gaming technology, marketing, and customer service with a strong presence in the Chicago area. With this purchase, J&J now serves over 2000 customers in gaming and amusements.

“We are excited to merge our business efforts and expand further into the Chicago area. Tap Room Gaming brings sophisticated marketing and customer services to us. With our gaming systems and technology, the overall entertainment experience will be enhanced,” said J&J Ventures CEO, Bob Willenborg. “The J&J team welcomes all Tap Room customers and employees.” Willenborg added.

“Tap Room Gaming’s foundation has been built on customer service. We used our expertise in the industry to help drive success for our customers,” states CEO Michael Bond. “We wanted to continue this tradition and know that each establishment’s partnership we’ve built over the years will continue to succeed, which is why we’ve chosen J&J to move our customers forward.”

The Illinois Video Gaming Act was enacted and approved by Illinois lawmakers in 2009 as a way to help raise funds to repair schools and fix roads. State and municipalities share in the revenue generated through gaming. J&J Gaming was one of the first terminal operators to be licensed in Illinois in January of 2012 and went ‘live’ in October of 2012.

Fifth Third Securities provided advisory services, and Fifth Third Bank arranged debt financing in support of the acquisition, acting as Sole Lead Arranger to J&J Ventures. Armory Securities acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Tap Room Gaming.

90th Anniversary Giveaway – Completed!

J&J Ventures, LLC celebrated 90 years in business with a $90K Giveaway! The promotion ran August 28, 2019 – October 31, 2019.

The $90,000 Grand Prize is the LARGEST single prize giveaway in the history of Illinois video gaming! In addition to the grand prize, there were a total of (81) weekly regionalized winners of $72,900 (9 winners of $900 for 9 weeks).

The Giveaway consisted of (9) separate weekly entry periods. Each weekly entry period had (9) winners (1 winner in each of the 9 regions across the state of Illinois). Non-winning entries did not carry forward into subsequent entry periods; however, all non-winning entries were entered into the grand prize drawing of $90,000.

Entry Period	Start Date (at 12:00 AM CT)	End Date (at 11:59:59 PM CT)
1	8/28/19	9/6/19
2	9/7/19	9/13/19
3	9/14/19	9/20/19
4	9/21/19	9/27/19
5	9/28/19	10/4/19
6	10/5/19	10/11/19
7	10/12/19	10/18/19
8	10/19/19	10/25/19
9	10/26/19	10/31/19

GRAND PRIZE ENTRY DATES: 8/28/19 to 10/31/19

GRAND PRIZE ENTRY DATES: 8/28/19 to 10/31/19

Patrons entered the giveaway at participating J&J Ventures Gaming location by submitting entries on the in-store J&J Ventures tablet via their J&J Giveaway app. There was a limit one entry per participating location per person per day.

$90,000 Grand Prize Winner

Jamie Price – Dotty’s Event Center (Rosie’s), Herrin

$900 Weekly Winners

Below is our current list of $900 weekly winners! We will continue to update this list on our website, social media, and the J&J Gaming App as we receive more winners.

• Amanda Schott – Rosie’s Video Gaming, Murphysboro
• Brenden Boughter – Weebles Bar & Grill, Springfield
• Kelly Hyder – All Star Package, Cisne
• Logan Dawson – Stagecoach FS, Warren
• Joanne Heuser – Lulu’s Café, Crestwood
• Paul Ballard – American Legion Post #90, Marshall
• Jim Brown – Lucy’s Place, Litchfield
• Linda Getz – QIK-N-EZ #52, Pana
• Katie Haslem – Lucky Georges, Quincy
• Misty Neumann – Easy Slots 2, East Alton
• Renee Kelly – Marilyn’s Wine Time, Troy
• Chad Quick – Black Jack’s, Danville
• Jenny Ward – Pundrake, Carmi
• Dorothy Black – B & R Grocery, Streator
• Scott Pescetto – The Double Diamond Company, Peru
• Betty Carter – Martins IGA Plus, Effingham
• Lonna Fick – Ye Olde Rockton Pub, Rockton
• Sally Fields – Suzy’s Saloon, Inc., Peotone
• Jodi Kirk – Marianna’s Gaming Bistro, Joliet
• Kelly Pridemore – Sidney Saloon, Sidney
• Patty Perry – Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie 3438, Mattoon
• Lonnie Kuhn – Daphne’s, Vandalia
• Gary Holda – Little Vegas (Walnut St.), Carbondale
• Steve Chrans – Qik-N-EZ #61, Toronto
• Tim Atterberry – Dena’s Bar & Grill, Ashland
• Albert Swanigan – Flamingo Slots, Urbana
• Edward Schmitt – FO Order of Eagles Carmel Aerie, Mount Carmel
• Theo Dunk – Silver Dollar Gaming, Harrisburg
• Carol Bradley – Rocky’s Bar & Grill, Loves Park
• Jenny Marin – B & R Grocery, Streator
• Tim Trinkle – Shae’s Pub and Grub, Arcola
• Dana Frazier – Reel Lucky, Carbondale
• Alli Miskell – The Hunt Club, Oregon
• Ed Wall – Old Firehouse Event Center, West Frankfort
• Kevin Taylor – Top Dollar Slots (Alpine Rd), Loves Park
• Robbie Kempen – The Library Bar, Bourbonnais
• Larry Brewer – Black Jack’s, Danville
• Branden Wood – Lady Luck, LLC, Peru
• Ernie Sperry – American Legion Post 120, Effingham
• Karen Swanson – Ye Olde Rockton Pub, Rockton
• Theresa Christopher – Suzi-Q’s, Pontiac
• Corey Wood – NMT Drink, Rockford
• Sharon Gum – Crazy Train Saloon & Grill, Waterloo
• Van Ewell – Rosie’s Video Gaming, Harrisburg
• Carl Stegner – Oak Forest New Horizon, Oak Forest
• Randy Case – Lilly’s, Diamond
• Kim Holtz – Wishbone 2, Clinton
• Cayla Pulley – Lucy’s Place, Centralia
• Terry Webster – B & R Café, Streator
• Gina Rosenberger – BIG “T”S, Jacksonville
• Connie Jacobs – American Legion Post #224, Carmi
• Marsha Gilbert – Castle Inn Lounge, Mattoon
• Julia Bailey – Shamrock Slots, Ottawa
• Lisa Mitchell – 5th Street Billiards Bar and Grill, Dupo
• Theresa Patton – Sparta Country Club, Sparta
• David Potter – Speakeasy Liquors, Harrisburg
• Jim Peterson – Savoy Lounge, Rockford
• Barry Vaughn – Old Firehouse Event Center, West Frankfort
• James O’Brien – Legends, Champaign
• Ray Gilleland – Easy Slots 2, East Alton
• Shawn Norman – Dotty’s Event Center, Herrin
• Duane Plank – WB’s Pub-N-Grub, Inc., Charleston
• Michael Hammond – FO Order of Eagles Carmel Aerie, Mount Carmel
• Lucy Mantell – Next Stop Slots, Rockford
• Nick Kaufman – Slim’s Pourhouse, Kankakee
• June Hansen – Goldy’s Bar & Grill, Champaign
• Cary Heaton – Lucy’s Place, Litchfield
• Tracy Brolley – The Double Diamond Company, Peru
• Verna Rightnowar – Franny’s, Springfield
• James Sedlacek – Lulu’s Café, Crestwood
• Diane Parisotto – Huck’s Food Store #310, Dupo
• Nicole Marty- Park Place Pub & Grill, Wenona
• Mike Desrosiers – Coonrods Tavern, Springfield
• Kathy Berck – Annie’s Video Gaming, Wamac
• Arthur Williams – Silver Dollar Gaming, West City
• Anthony Leone – Silver Dollar Gaming, Herrin
• Jerry Miller – Danny’s Qik Sak, Effingham
• Eric Tatman – Jupiter’s At The Crossing, Champaign
• Phil Zimmerman – On the Rox Pub & Grub, Altamont
• Reuel Wright – Silver Dollar Gaming, Herrin
• Carol Sollenberger – Wine Time, Dunlap

For the official Rules and Regulations, click here

J&J Ventures Has Received a Conditional VGT Operator License in Pennsylvania!

J&J Gaming is now expanding into the Pennsylvania market as a licensed VGT Operator. As an industry leader, we’re positioned to help you increase your revenue in a new market with growth opportunities.