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* If you work around the Statehouse, you know that the fantasy sports people and Rivers Casino have hired just about every lobbyist in town. Look past the inflammatory rhetoric here, but this is the heart of the matter…
Yes, it’s well-documented that fantasy sports have a number of advocates in Springfield trying to pass a bill. Casual fans, small Illinois-based businesses, and major fantasy sports companies alike have all come together to speak out in favor of the industry. But guess what? The need for advocates has been driven by the enormity of the efforts by Rivers Casino, who have hired an army of lobbyists in a hypocritical and self-serving effort to block fantasy sports legislation needed to protect consumers and provide needed revenue for the state. […]
So here is the real motive: Rivers wants a bill to allow them to offer their casino games via the internet, so they would have the ability to reach customers without ever having them step foot in their casino. The Rivers political strategy is to attach internet gambling to a fantasy sports bill. They have not been successful, so they are working back-room politics to kill the fantasy sports bill, unless they get what they want.
* The Question: Should Illinois casinos be allowed into the Internet gaming business? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 2:56 pm
Sorry, comments are closed at this time.
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We live in an online world. I voted yes. It could attract customers from anywhere and Illinois needs the tax revenue that would be generated.
Comment by Joe M Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 2:59 pm
They have tried to block every attempt to break up their monopoly.
Until you have casino games at Horse Race Tracks the answer is NO
Comment by BIG R. Ph. Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 3:03 pm
No more gambling.
Comment by D.P. Gumby Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 3:04 pm
No, I am against gambling in all it’s forms. The only time I saw gambling do some good was in Oklahoma where the Native tribes have done tremendous social good. Cherokees have world class health care because of it.
Comment by Honeybear Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 3:04 pm
We said “no” ’cause no one should be able climb over others the first time one tries
Comment by Annonin' Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 3:08 pm
I voted no. Two distinct issues. Daily Fantasy Sports need to be regulated and quickly. The legislation working its way through the GA does a pretty good job of doing that, though it sounds like the fiscal issues need further examination. I didn’t see it in there but I think that using insider info obtained from one company to bet at another (which is the issue the Feds are looking at) should be treated like insider trading and specifically designated as a criminal offense. I think that industry should be legal, highly taxed and regulated, and strongly encouraged to greatly reduce their highly prurient commercial advertising (they clearly have too much money already). Internet casino gaming should be considered separately on its own merits, especially if all this opposition is just being artificially created just in a cynical attempt to make one casino’s sweetheart deal even sweeter. Let them justify it separately if it’s such a great idea. Easy access for gambling addicts is a major concern.
Comment by Ron Burgundy Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 3:08 pm
Whenever you outlaw something it encourages an illegal (untaxed) alternative to flourish.
Comment by nobody Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 3:11 pm
Why should the government have any say as to whether people gamble, or how they do it? Freedom people, freedom.
Comment by John Rawls Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 3:12 pm
– Why should the government have any say as to whether people gamble, or how they do it? Freedom people, freedom. –
Because it ends up having to provide public aid and benefits to people who blow their life savings gambling.
Comment by Ron Burgundy Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 3:15 pm
Well nothing says the government HAS to provide public aid and benefits to people who blow their life savings gambling. Two words: personal responsibility
Comment by John Rawls Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 3:17 pm
NO to expanding casino gambling via the internet.
NO to legalizing internet fantasy sports gambling in Illinois.
I agree that easy access for gambling addicts is a major concern.
Comment by Enviro Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 3:17 pm
No but could be changed to yes depending on how the revenue from fantasy sports will benefit the citizens of IL.
Comment by Mama Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 3:18 pm
I coted no. Joe M your assuming they stay in IL.
once it goes online casunos will just be servers. a lot of miney from drawing people into a location will be lost. miney soent for travel, food, doing other activities. this woukd be a huge economic loss overall. plus once it goes online you dont need an il presence at all…. just some off shore servers and lots of walls to hide income.
even if they stay in il you still lose the overhead gain…. how many people are employed in casinos and supporting casinos…. kiss all those jobs goodbye
Comment by Ghost Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 3:19 pm
–Well nothing says the government HAS to provide public aid and benefits to people who blow their life savings gambling. Two words: personal responsibility.–
One word: Heartless.
Comment by Enviro Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 3:19 pm
– Two words: personal responsibility –
One word - Dependents.
Comment by Ron Burgundy Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 3:22 pm
I’m not against gaming, and don’t have an issue with fantasy sports, but jeez it takes a lot of money out of the economy.
“Gamblers in the city of Springfield bet more than $96 million at video gaming terminals from September 2012 to September 2014.” (SJ-R, 11/2014)
Comment by Scott217 Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 3:25 pm
@Scott217 your argument makes literally no sense. The $ does not go “out of the economy.” It is either spent or saved by the companies who operate the video game terminals. It goes towards income for those that work at the company. $ does not just disappear because people gamble.
To Ron and Enviro - to simply say that the gov’t needs to ban X because X is “bad” is incredibly reductionist. Its an argument that says that politicians in Springfield can decide people’s lives better than actual citizens can. I reject that on face as absurd. But even if you don’t buy that, what gives the gov’t the moral responsibility to dictate how we live our lives? The purpose of gov’t is to protect our rights, not to protect us from ourselves. That’s our job.
Comment by John Rawls Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 3:29 pm
Voted “no”, though my mind could be changed I think. I would like to see whatever is done have a component to help the tracks and the horsemen, and that’s missing. It ain’t soup yet.
Comment by steve schnorf Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 3:31 pm
John, I fear you live in a world that doesn’t exist. Maybe it should (debateable), but it doesn’t.
Comment by steve schnorf Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 3:34 pm
One step at a time Steve!
Comment by John Rawls Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 3:36 pm
It’s a *little* hypocritical for the state to block some forms of gambling when, via the lottery, it actively facilitates, advertises and benefits from others.
Comment by Bobby Nozick Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 3:36 pm
==- Bobby Nozick - Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 3:36 pm:
It’s a *little* hypocritical for the state to block some forms of gambling when, via the lottery, it actively facilitates, advertises and benefits from others.==
Is it? Because lottery money goes to prizes, expenses, capital projects, and schools. When it comes to other forms of gambling, all the state collects is tax on the revenue, while the remainder goes back to the private companies running the games.
Comment by Boooooooo Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 3:43 pm
Voted “no” and that will continue to be my position until the race tracks and horsemen can realize some much needed revenue from the existing legalized gaming allowed in the state.
Comment by illini Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 3:48 pm
John Rawls-wow. We can solve all the mental health issues with personal responsibility. Time to get out of fantasy land.
Comment by pool boy Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 3:54 pm
Personally I feel Springfield is overrun with the video gaming now, and people have real addiction problems with gambling so I don’t think it needs to be quite so accessible. Internet gaming seems to be a road filled with potholes. Just my opinion
Comment by StateWorker Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 4:20 pm
John Rawles- I’ll clarify. It takes money out of the local economy. Yes, the sites the have the machines get money (and some from selling food & drinks), machine owners,the governments, etc. all get money from gaming.
Comment by @Scott217 Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 4:29 pm
Voted No.
Daily fantasy sports his a fundamental problem in their model in which they create even fewer winners than our current economic system. When the average participant would get better odds at the casino, your industry probably should not be legal.
Comment by Graduate College Student Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 4:37 pm
Who am I to tell you how to spend your money?!
Comment by Sharkster Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 4:59 pm
-No-
To the issue of - personal responsibility-.
Where on lives is a matter of - personal responsibility-. Government should not provide any sort of incentive (financial or otherwise) on this issue.
I support limited government.
Comment by Mike Cirrincione Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 5:03 pm
Only 39% yes?
Apparently, Rivers hasn’t hired enough lobbyists.
I think at the end of the day we are going to admit that fantasy sports are organized gambling and pass a bill that “accommodates” casinos that are, after all, huge local employers.
Then I expect they will do exactly what the CBoT did after it got its windfall: shift its revenue to online trading (another form of organized gambling) and lay off much of its Illinois work force.
Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 5:34 pm
They should be treated the same. Simple as that. Same with online poker. Personally, I think they should all be allowed. But, if one or more of them aren’t, none of them should be.
Comment by anon Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 6:00 pm
I voted yes, as long as the horse tracks and horse owners are taken care of. Allow the tracks to get into Internet gambling
Comment by Pyrman Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 7:09 pm
No,just no.
Comment by jazzy Tuesday, May 24, 16 @ 10:13 pm
Please ask “Candy Crush Cloonen” what she thinks about it…..then she can expand her game playing on the House of Representative’s floor!
Comment by Chris Wednesday, May 25, 16 @ 7:03 am
Honestly I got into fantasy sports during football season. Doing away with daily fantasy sports won’t mean people will stop gambling all together on fantasy sports. I prefer DFS over going to the casino and it actually helps me limit my gambling, instead of buying 100 dollars worth of scratch offs I can plug 5 bucks and be good for a week and they offer free games where you can win 2 bucks if you get into the top 5 which isn’t much but it keeps me from plugging money into the slots. I enjoy DFS but gambling over the phone would cost me a lot of pay checks lol.
Comment by Jimmy0 Wednesday, May 25, 16 @ 2:21 pm