Two proposed casinos moving forward
Friday, Jun 11, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Coming a bit late to this. The Southern Illinoisan…
Walker’s Bluff Casino & Resort in Carterville is a step closer to reality.
The Illinois Gaming Board voted Wednesday to grant a determination of “preliminary suitability” for the project, a crucial step forward in the licensing process.
It comes as Walker’s Bluff officials and organized labor expressed confidence that a project-labor agreement for construction of the $150 million complex could be signed soon, a necessity due to legislation signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Thursday.
The proposed facility, which would be built and operated by Iowa-based Elite Casino Resorts, would include a casino with 650 slots and 20 table games, a sportsbook, a 116-room hotel that includes a pool and spa, an events center for weddings and meetings and several restaurants.
* Rockford Register Star…
Hard Rock Casino Rockford took a major step forward Wednesday when the Illinois Gaming Board said it could seek construction approvals, accepted a list of 51 investors including three executives and granted a supplier license to the casino’s landlord.
Those significant steps come 20 months after Rockford City Council chose Hard Rock from among three finalists seeking to build a casino.
“Now that the owner of the proposed temporary site and the proposed permanent site for the casino in Rockford has been licensed, that project can move forward with requesting approval to commence construction on the temporary and permanent facility,” Illinois Gaming Board Administrator Marcus Fruchter said.
* Danville Commercial News…
Wednesday’s Illinois Gaming Board agenda didn’t include any items regarding Danville’s casino license application.
Illinois Gaming Board Administrator Marcus Fruchter gave a brief update on the new casino license applicants’ processes.
The board doesn’t comment on the status of pending applications. The board continues processing, vetting and investigating new casino applicants, including the applicant from the City of Danville.
Fruchter said of the 2019 gambling expansion legislation that included a Danville casino license, the board had spent seven months working on Danville’s first applicant.
The first casino applicant selected by Danville withdrew its application on July 30, 2020, after it was determined to be “deficient and incomplete,” Fruchter said. Danville then selected a second applicant and that applicant submitted its application to the IGB on Nov. 23, 2020.
- Rabid - Friday, Jun 11, 21 @ 5:54 am:
private industry seeks the value of union work
- Friendly Bob Adams - Friday, Jun 11, 21 @ 8:51 am:
After the casino deal is done, will Danville be pursuing a monorail??
- Candy Dogood - Friday, Jun 11, 21 @ 9:22 am:
===Iowa-based===
A place that’s famous for a musical regaling the dangers of a pool hall is where the company that’s going to build and operate a casino in Southern Illinois is based? We’ve got trouble. Trouble with a capital ‘T.’
I’m too tired to construct a proper don’t bet the farm joke, but casinos are and always have been a net social negative. I don’t understand why grown ups would pretend like this is a good thing.
- Shield - Friday, Jun 11, 21 @ 9:44 am:
Are they hiring for food and beverage chairman?
- lake county democrat - Friday, Jun 11, 21 @ 9:51 am:
I’m always thinking that the gaming market is saturated and that new outlets will eat into existing ones. And I’m always wrong. This time the question is whether legalized sports gambling from home will impact casinos - at least with sports there’s a pretense that I can outsmart the oddsmakers, while with the casino (other than poker) I’m destined to lose no matter what.
- Flyin' Elvis'-Utah Chapter - Friday, Jun 11, 21 @ 10:05 am:
I understand the blueberry muffins at Walkers Bluff will be nearly falling apart.
- Bob Meter - Friday, Jun 11, 21 @ 10:09 am:
I love casinos. Not for the customary reason of entertainment and the illusion of winning but instead for the tax revenue generated. Build them and people will come. Build more, please.
- Flyin' Elvis'-Utah Chapter - Friday, Jun 11, 21 @ 10:29 am:
Bob Meter-amen.
Don’t know about metro areas, but a pack of Marlboro reds goes for 10.00 here in the sticks, and they keep selling them.
People will have their vices, might as well tax them.
- VerySmallRocks - Friday, Jun 11, 21 @ 10:54 am:
To Flyin’ Elvis -
The real question is whether the muffins will have the same number of blueberries in them that the Robert De Niro character in the movie “Casino” complained about 😁
- Almost the Weekend - Friday, Jun 11, 21 @ 11:23 am:
If Walker’s Bluff is done correctly, I think it will be a great success for Southern Illinois. Factoring in the wineries and Shawnee. I’m kind of imagining Hot Springs Arkansas but no mob ties.
- Candy Dogood - Friday, Jun 11, 21 @ 11:51 am:
There’s a casino in Metropolis. There’s a casino in East St. Louis. There’s a casino in St. Louis. There’s a casino in Cape Girardeau. There’s a casino in Evansville.
That’s not even counting all of the gaming parlors that sprung up as independent businesses, inside of gas stations, inside of restaurants.
- Davis Junction - Friday, Jun 11, 21 @ 12:05 pm:
Rockford and Danville were already in my top 5 Illinois towns to visit, this moves them right to the top.
- M - Friday, Jun 11, 21 @ 1:27 pm:
IL needs a gambling boat or casino on the southern tip of IL to bring in revenue from other southern states.