* From Gov. Pritzker’s budget address…

This budget also includes the legalization and taxation of sports betting. Expansion of gambling is a perennial effort in this state, and often these proposals get bogged down in regional disputes and a Christmas tree approach. But in those instances, we were talking about adding more riverboats or adding into other regions. Sports betting is different – this is a new market created by a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision. Every day we argue about “who’s in and who’s out” is money that goes to other states and to the black market. I am calling on the legislature to take this up immediately so that Illinois can realize hundreds of millions of dollars, create new jobs, and bring sports betting into a regulated environment that will protect citizens from bad actors. If we do it this year and become the first state in the Midwest to move on this initiative, we can realize more than $200 million from sports betting fees and taxes in FY 2020.

* The Tribune takes a look at the huge number of interest groups vying for a piece of that pie. This is accurate…

“The history is that it’s hard to keep these (gambling bills) clean,” said Kent Redfield, an emeritus professor of political science at the University of Illinois at Springfield. “But the history is also that, more often than not, when they become a Christmas tree, they collapse under their own weight.”

That mainly happens when the four legislative leaders and the governor are not all pulling in the same direction.

* So, keep an eye on this…

Who would be eligible for a license remains open for negotiation, Pritzker spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh said.

If the state creates 20 licenses as the governor has proposed, each of Illinois’ 10 casinos and three horse tracks could be licensed to take bets on sporting events. Video gaming terminal operators, existing sportsbooks in other states and sports teams also could vie for licenses.

* From the House sponsor…

While Pritzker has put down “a reasonable marker” for what he’d like to see, “I do get the sense he’s very willing to let us try to work it out for him and try to get to a place where we’re comfortable and he’s comfortable and we can get a bill on his desk,” [Rep. Mike Zalewski] said.

Using history as a guide, if the governor punts the details to the General Assembly he’s probably gonna wind up with a huge bundle of messy nothing.