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Gaming bill could grow

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Illinois

* If Arlington Park wants table games, all the other tracks will want them as well. The gaming expansion bill could get much bigger…

Arlington Park officials want to add table games to the gambling options at the track in addition to the slot machines they’ve sought for years, a suburban lawmaker said.

Previous proposals called for the addition to 1,200 slot machines at the Arlington Heights horse racing track. State Sen. Matt Murphy, a Palatine Republican, said adding table games is being discussed.

“It’s on the table,” Murphy said.

As video gambling machines in bars and restaurants become more common, the track might need table games to keep up with the competition, Murphy said.

What they essentially want are full-blown casinos at the tracks.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, May 22, 15 @ 12:41 pm

Comments

=== What they essentially want are full-blown casinos at the tracks. ====

What they want is to get out of the horse-racing business altogether.

“I went to a casino and a horse race broke out.”

Comment by Juvenal Friday, May 22, 15 @ 12:46 pm
Adding gaming at the tracks would help the IL racing industry compete with all of our neighboring states. This is great source of revenue for IL that has thousands of employees that are losing out to those other states when it comes down to quality of horses, jockeys, trainers, etc. We definitely need to pass a gambling expansion bill that includes table games and slots at our IL tracks.

Comment by Big Joe Friday, May 22, 15 @ 12:50 pm
=== “It’s on the table,” Murphy said. ===

Yes, it is!

Comment by Norseman Friday, May 22, 15 @ 12:50 pm
You can’t blame the tracks. If this is really “the year” for gaming — might as well go for broke…

Comment by Centennial Friday, May 22, 15 @ 12:51 pm
How about online poker?

Comment by anon Friday, May 22, 15 @ 12:52 pm
Juvenal

True that…

Comment by OneMan Friday, May 22, 15 @ 12:55 pm
Sen. Clayborne will never allow it at Fairmount Park in Collinsville. The bill will have to exclude Fairmount.

Comment by Motambe Friday, May 22, 15 @ 12:58 pm
I hope they do let the tracks turn into full blown casinos. Enough with legislating morality. If adults want to gamble, let them. Makes no sense that I can put a grand on a horse but can’t play a $20 hand of black jack.

Comment by MurMan Friday, May 22, 15 @ 1:00 pm
=== Sen. Clayborne will never allow it at Fairmount Park in Collinsville. The bill will have to exclude Fairmount. ===

Motambe, why is that - because he wants to protect ESL boat? That would be short-sighted. My kids live in STL and will go to the track, but not to the boat. Better options in STL. Without tables and the track closes then what? IL and the area loses revenue. Not a smart decision in my book.

Comment by Norseman Friday, May 22, 15 @ 1:03 pm
I’m all for adding table games, if the votes are there. If the votes are not there, then we at least need to get slots. We need something. The status quo won’t hold much longer.

Comment by Roamin' Numeral Friday, May 22, 15 @ 1:05 pm
I can’t believe this is a serious proposal. “Well look, we will drop the table games but you’ve got to give us slots at least…”

(Totally support the slots btw, Arlington provides a lot more direct and indirect jobs than people care to realize)

Comment by Jimmy CrackCorn Friday, May 22, 15 @ 1:07 pm
Norseman - exactly.

Comment by Motambe Friday, May 22, 15 @ 1:09 pm
It’s not about saving “Racing” - it about “Money”

And Opposing Interests Want To Maximize Money Made

Fight On

Comment by x ace Friday, May 22, 15 @ 1:11 pm
Maybe its time for full blown casinos at racetracks. Arlington, Maywood, Stickney/Cicero? Wouldn’t they cut in on a Chicago casino? Or would they not be considered?

Comment by NewWestSuburbanGOP'er Friday, May 22, 15 @ 1:14 pm
I wonder if anyone will be opposed to full-blown casinos at racetracks, lol.

Comment by Wordslinger Friday, May 22, 15 @ 1:17 pm
Why get just a little bit pregnant. ??? Springfield has never done gaming correctly.

Comment by Wow Friday, May 22, 15 @ 1:21 pm
== Better options in STL. Without tables and the track closes then what? IL and the area loses revenue. Not a smart decision in my book.==

This. The CQ’s problem is better options, MUCH better options, on the other side of the river. They need to step up their game, or let someone else do it.

Comment by Anonymous Friday, May 22, 15 @ 1:24 pm
Unless there is a specific source, I would not think it is full blown table games. Probably is a variation called Asian Games that goes on at Hollywood Park.

I was working the electric restructuring issue in 1997 when slots at the track came up first and frequently ran into the Arlington Park lobbying team. As a poker player, I pressed them albeit usually jokingly for poker. Slots would have gone through easily but they wanted Asian Games, too, with their model being Hollywood Park. The figures they showed me were that two thirds of Arlington’s expected profit would come from Asian Games with one third from slots. They held out for both and got neither although it is true that other factors were against them.

So, unless there is a clear source, I would guess the article condensed a lengthy explanation of Asian Games into “table games.”

And a big Yes! to online poker. Have not played for two years now.

Comment by MickJ Friday, May 22, 15 @ 1:25 pm
Just look at the unbelievably success and economic development around Gulfstream in Florida. This is a no-brainer, which means in Illinois it probably will not happen.

Comment by Anonymous Friday, May 22, 15 @ 1:38 pm