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Illinois

Do you support expanding gaming this year? If so, where would you put the new casinos? Would you support giving racetracks the ability to install slot machines?

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, May 15, 07 @ 9:20 am

Comments

I would strongly support a significant expansion of gaming postions at each casino. About a 2000 or 2500 ceiling.

Comment by Larry McKeon Tuesday, May 15, 07 @ 9:36 am
A casino in downtown Chicago is a natural. One near the Indiana border and up in Waukegan make sense also. The racetracks should have had them a long time ago. They already gamble there and the horse breeding industry is in dire need of help. It seems most of the racetracks out east already have slots at their places and the only way for our tracks to stay viable is to have the slots at the track.

Comment by anon Tuesday, May 15, 07 @ 9:37 am
Yes, I support expanding gaming. The only place this will work is Chicago. Probably next to McCormick Place. You have the conventioneers and tourist. We will never get the revenue this big anywhere else in this state.
It is not true “if you build it they will come”. Any place else in the state is a loser. Perfect example World Shooting Complex in Sparta. Waste of taxpayer money.

Comment by Lula May Tuesday, May 15, 07 @ 9:41 am
Y E S !!!! ON BOTH COUNTS

Comment by can't imagine Tuesday, May 15, 07 @ 9:52 am
More gaming positions, a few more locations, video poker, at the tracks.

What the heck, it’s a tax on other people from my viewpoint anyway.

Comment by OneManBlog Tuesday, May 15, 07 @ 9:58 am
The tracks should have slot machines but only open on days the tracks have racing. Don’t let the tracks become full time slot casinos.

Comment by Mr. Ethics Tuesday, May 15, 07 @ 9:59 am
I think the gaming plan introduced by Lang makes a lot of sense, but the hurdle that will have to be cleared in order to move the proposal forward is the moralist opposition, who, in a House gaming committee, said that “It’s not the job of the government to spread social ills” (Not verbatim, but you get the point.)
With the casinos in their currently projected locations, not only would the state keep the revenue that they’re already losing that border-living Illinoisans are losing at out of state casinos, but with one around the O’Hare area, the state would cash in on a treasure trove of out of state money - estimated between the four at more than $3 billion on the high end.
It’s a good idea, but the casinos or Lang would be smart to include some sort of requirement that the gaming industry spend X amount of dollars a year more than they do now on gambling addiction programs while more heavily promoting the voluntary black-list program to silence the cries of socioeconomically disadvantaged targeting that the moral opposition is sure to throw up again as it moves on.

Comment by Guy Montag Tuesday, May 15, 07 @ 10:03 am
Gaming is free money.

I can’t see any drawbacks in free money.

Comment by Leroy Tuesday, May 15, 07 @ 10:17 am
I am getting tired of going over to Indiana to play the slots. I live in Chicago and while a downtown casino would probably not be easy to get to, having one on the south side and at the racetracks would be great. If I am going to spend some of my entertainment dollar on gaming I might as well have my own state benefit.

Comment by Border Crosser Tuesday, May 15, 07 @ 10:21 am
No, I don’t support expanding gambling (or you can call it gaming if you feel that it makes gambling sound more respectable). Granted, it would enrich the state’s and local municipal government’s coffers. I guess it has to do with my being unable to successfully wrestle with my conscience. I have no statistical evidence to back up my personal views other than to say that I have personally known a few of the individuals that had their financial well-being ruined and others that had their marriages fail as a result of the gambling establishments in Will County.

Perhaps, 97% of the people that have lost money at the gambling boats and gambling establishments went there full-well knowing that they were going to lose (or spend) an acceptable amount of cash to be entertained. However, those remaining 3% of the individuals that lacked the will-power to refrain from spending (losing) more than they could afford seem to stick in my mind. Especially, their innocent spouses and children that are made to do without and wind up suffering due to their gambling losses haunt my conscience. That prevents me from supporting the idea of allowing the gambling industry to come into my community and allowing them to pick the pockets of those who are too weak to prevent them from doing so.

I am not trying to be a “tooty good shoes” but I would much rather see our governor and state legislators get a handle on our rampant and uncontrolled spending in Illinois. The “easy” and expedient answer is to allow more gambling in our state. Like I said, I have known too many families that were torn apart by our local gambling establishments. These unfortunate families are never mentioned in the newspapers (where the gaming industry advertises very heavily) nor by the local politicians (who the gambling industry makes large political contributions to). Instead, we read in the local media and hear from our (or should I say their)politicians about the benevolent contributions that they have made to our local economy.

Comment by Beowulf Tuesday, May 15, 07 @ 10:21 am
OK, Liberal readers.

Does gambling place more or less of a burden on those who can’t afford it. You know, the ones for whom you want to decrease the income tax burden?

Comment by Cal Skinner Tuesday, May 15, 07 @ 10:31 am
Support it. Place landbase casinos in Springfield, about 10 in Chicago. Slot machines at O’Hare, and the Horse Tracks. It will solve all our money problems!!

Comment by He makes Ryan look like a saint Tuesday, May 15, 07 @ 10:33 am
O’Hare primarily. A little at Midway too.

Comment by Crockett Tuesday, May 15, 07 @ 10:40 am
Beowolf,
I too feel for these families. I have also seen families ripped apart by alcohol, infidelity, drugs, abuse, depression or just plain boredom. But the last time I checked this was a free country. Just because some people have problems does not mean the rest of society needs to be shut out of what they do responsibly. If there is access they will find a way to bet. It is easy to cross over to Indiana or jump on a plane to Vegas. The only way would be to ban it everywhere, which would be impossible now because of the internet.

Comment by Border Crosser Tuesday, May 15, 07 @ 10:41 am
I think they should consider video poker in the bars. After the smoking ban goes into effect, the bars will need something to subsidize their businesses.

Comment by Say it ain't so Anita... Tuesday, May 15, 07 @ 10:57 am
Yes. Not in the heart of Chicago.

Comment by Way Northsider Tuesday, May 15, 07 @ 10:57 am
A casino ajoining Lake Springfield would be good. Also poker rooms and slots at the tracks and keno on hotel tvs.. How about slots in gas stations? Wimmers would be able to fill up.

Comment by Bill Tuesday, May 15, 07 @ 11:09 am
Bill, keep ‘em away from me, please. lol

Although if they put a riverboat downtown and dug a trench from the Statehouse to the lake large enough to drive my boat to work, I’d be totally in favor.

Comment by Rich Miller Tuesday, May 15, 07 @ 11:11 am
I view gambling a quick fix solution of dubious value to the state’s budget problems. I would rather see our leaders working on real ways to get our economy on track, balance the budget and improve tax revenues.

I not a fan of gambling. At best it just reallocates entertainment/recreation money. At its worst it is an addiction that destroys lives and hurts society with its ripple effects (bankruptcy, embezzlement, divorce, etc.)

If we are just interested in tax revenues, tourists and jobs, why not legalize prostitution? At least then there is additional public health benefits.

Going back to my initial statement, I don’t see our leaders focusing on improving the state’s economy. The economic development programs seem more like a pork program with everyone getting their piece of the pie(i.e. Sparta Shooting park) rather than any real long-term strategy.
The strategies also too often try to prop up the most hopeless locations (i.e. Cairo and Pembrook) rather than focusing on places with real potential(i.e. Urbana and Chicago). If our leaders reallocated the time and political capital they spend on gambling to economic development we would all be better off.

Comment by Objective Dem Tuesday, May 15, 07 @ 11:43 am
Yes, I support gaming expansion. I think putting boats in Quincy and Springfield as well as a casino in Rosemont would be a boon for this state. It can’t be any worse of a “regressive” idea than the GRT.

Comment by Team Sleep Tuesday, May 15, 07 @ 11:54 am
Yes, they keep expanding the lottery, why not expnad gambling. But of course, people are too stupid to know what to do with their money. Perhaps we can convince Daley if we tell him Roulette and Blackjack are Olympic Sports in the 2016 games

Comment by Wumpus Tuesday, May 15, 07 @ 11:55 am
no, but i don’t support gambling in the first place. putting gambling in a state with illinois’ problems with corruption is just asking for more corruption. the money never seems to go where it’s intended. oversight of gambling and gambling interests is virtually non-existent. it seduces people into thinking that it is “free money,” and i believe that it takes an extraordinary share from those who really can’t afford it. and it creates more social problems, as near as i can tell, than it contributes to government revenues…

Comment by bored now Tuesday, May 15, 07 @ 11:59 am
To more specifically answer your question, I would only favor expansion at O’Hare. Even then I would restrict the gambling to the ticketed passenger area in order to maximize the impact on tourists and limit the impact on area residents.

I would also make sure the city and state own the casino and rent it to the highest bidder, rather than the riverboat give-away that occured under Gov. “Skimmer” Thompson.

The only reason to expand gambling to racetracks is to prop up a failing industry of limited value and no long term growth potential.

Comment by Objective Dem Tuesday, May 15, 07 @ 12:01 pm
Just “NO”. Encourage savings and defered gratification. I’ve seen baby boomers having to borrow from their elderly parents because they wasted their substantial incomes at the boats and at Vegas. Sometime the boomers need to get serious about helping to support themselves in their old age. Casinos are not going to get us through the rapidly approaching bottleneck.

Comment by vole Tuesday, May 15, 07 @ 12:13 pm
Rod singing to Mike
“But you’re looking through me
Like I wasn’t here at all.
No reply, there’s no reply at all.

Dance with me, you never dance with me.
Ooh, it seems that I can move,
I’m close to you, close as I can get.”

Comment by OneManBlog Tuesday, May 15, 07 @ 1:23 pm
Opps that was supposed to be on the picture…

Comment by OneManBlog Tuesday, May 15, 07 @ 1:24 pm
To put the scope of the problem in perspective, an article in the Christian Science Monitor reported that experts “contend that while 80 percent of the population is able to enjoy gambling as entertainment, as many 15 percent develop a “problem,” and another 5 percent may become serious compulsive gamblers.”

This doesn’t mean we have to ban all gambling, but it clearly needs safeguards and limits.

Comment by Objective Dem Tuesday, May 15, 07 @ 1:30 pm
I think the race tracks should be allowed to have the slot machines. The horse industry is spread throughout the state and the spill over from the raising and breeding of the horses is a huge economic factor downstate.

Comment by Horse Lover Tuesday, May 15, 07 @ 1:47 pm
I think the Govs mansion would make a great casino location, very old school look. Add a bacarat table in case 007 shows up. Also add a few more to the Chicago area, one near the Indiana border, one downtowm, slots at the airports and horse tracks too. The cat is out of the bag, the moralists need to go fight against something else.

Comment by Slice & Dice Tuesday, May 15, 07 @ 2:20 pm
Yes, and dry dock it anywhere on the Sangamon River, complete with mosquitoes and buffalo gnats.

Comment by Little Egypt Tuesday, May 15, 07 @ 2:23 pm
Slice and Dice,

Undoubtedly some of the oppostion is based on “moralist” concerns, but my concern and the concern of many people is the societal impact.

It is simplistic to say that the “cat is out of the bag” so go fight elsewhere. It is equivalent of saying that because prohibition was overturned we don’t need any laws or regulations regarding alcohol.

Comment by Objective Dem Tuesday, May 15, 07 @ 2:37 pm
Obj. Dem:
I disagree with your analogy re: alcohol and regs. There are plenty of regs on gambling. To name just one: Ever hear an advertisement for a boat? Always includes an warning about addiction and a toll free number to get help. “Vices” have always been with us OD. Alcohol, gambling, prostitution, drugs and so forth - one man’s vice is another man’s recreation. How did you like the idea of converting the Governor’s Mansion to a casino??? Blago’s a big gambler eh? Threw the GRT dice you might say…..

Comment by Slice & Dice Tuesday, May 15, 07 @ 2:50 pm
I have heard the warnings on casino ads. I just can’t understand them because they speak faster than any humanly possible.

I do like your idea of turning the Governor’s mansion into a casino. It would be a lot classier than the riverboat I went to. Maybe we could get Blago a job working as the host in about 3 years (as long as he doesn’t have to spend the night there.)

Comment by Objective Dem Tuesday, May 15, 07 @ 3:09 pm
Gambling is already legal. Two to three billion $’s in additional rev. without a tax increase is appealing. New York, Indiana, Delaware, Iowa, Indiana and other states have legalized slots at their tracks. Horse racing has a signicant impact on IL agriculture and supports 40,000 jobs.

Comment by Little Brindle Tuesday, May 15, 07 @ 3:53 pm
As a standardbred breeder here in Illinois I am very much in support of a gaming bill that would allow slots at the race tracks - but subject to certain conditions that would allow the Illinois racing program a chance to return to a position of national prominence. Those conditions fall into two basic categories - those that deal with the new changes, and those that correct prior errors (hence the 20-20 Hindsight).

New elements.
Horsemen must get a fair percentage of the slot revenues that is guaranteed and is paid directly into their purse account. Live racing must be protected affording our local horsemen an opportunity to earn a living while also preventing the race tracks from turning into strictly casino operations. The race tracks should be penalized or rewarded for their promotion and management of the live racing product through some measurable criteria.

Corrections of old problems:
Recapture must be eliminated completely, and not later than the day the first slot machine is in operation. Recapture has cost Illinois horsemen many millions dollars every year, and we simply cannot continue to sustain that sort of loss. Commissions on wagers of all sorts and from all sources must be split evenly between the horsemen and track operators, getting back to the original concept of a 50-50 partnership.

From my perspective HB 480 still needs some work, but it also represents our best - and quite likely our only - chance to keep our farm open next year, and I sincerely hope that we are able to get it passed this session. Otherwise, ours will likely be the next horse breeding farm in Illinois to turn into a subdivision.

Comment by 20-20 Hindsight Tuesday, May 15, 07 @ 4:08 pm
Now that M4 is pretty much done, MCCormick place would be a natural spot for a new casino.

Isn’t that why Hizzoner plowed Meigs?

And while we’re at it, we can build “Debauchery Island” just off the point.

It could feature legalized prostitution and a “drug sanctuary” where no illicit drug laws would be enforced. You know, kind of like the “illegal alien” sanctuary King Luis wants to make out of Cook County.

After all, in principal, there’s little difference in flaunting the immigration laws or drug and prostitution laws.

Each has its own political constituency, and can bring in tons of cash, and political patronage money is really what this is all about, isn’t it?

More than a little snarc, here, folks.

Comment by PalosParkBob Tuesday, May 15, 07 @ 4:08 pm
Little Brindle,

I don’t know where you get the number $2 to 3 billion, but it seems way high to me. Additionally, much of the money spent on gambling would have been spent in other ways that would generate sales tax revenues. The money does not appear out of nowhere. This goes back to one of my central concerns, we need to be developing ways to generate new income and jobs in Illinois.

Likewise when we talk about expanding gambling in the state, we should be looking for ways to create a tourist draw that imports money into the local economy. I don’t have any research to back me up, but I assume that gambling as a tourist activity (rather than local entertainment activity) is less likely to become a serious problem due to availability issues.

Its great that horse racing generates so many jobs, but I don’t see why that means we need to give slots to the race track owners. Movie theaters generate a lot of jobs, but I don’t think we should allow them to put slots in the lobbies if their attendance starts to go down.

Comment by Objective Dem Tuesday, May 15, 07 @ 4:27 pm
I understand the perils of gaming. I had a friend whose marriage went down the tubes due to gambling. The interesting aspect of this was that my friend’s marriage did not go down the tubes due directly to gambling but due to hiding the fact that he was gambling (trust). So, I have seen what gambling can do. However, through all of this, I can’t help but wonder if he would find a way to gamble even if gambling in Illinois was completely illegal. Therefore, I would be supportive of an expansion of gambling, especially seeing that Iowa may be going to land based casinos soon. I also believe that Illinois should look into sports betting especially for the day of the Super Bowl. The amount of money the state could bring in with this expansion could be huge. On the other hand, as a way to try to stop addicted gamblers, legislation should be included that would prohibit ATMs or any check cashing located on the premisis of gambling facilities.

Comment by QC Transplant Tuesday, May 15, 07 @ 4:43 pm
PalosParkBob,

Actually Chicago already has an area like your proposed “Debauchery Island.” Its the Viagra Triangle on Rush Street.

Comment by Objective Dem Tuesday, May 15, 07 @ 4:45 pm
ok, if you have to have gambling, i agree with turning the governor’s mansion into a casino. may as well do something with it…

Comment by bored now Tuesday, May 15, 07 @ 4:55 pm
I’m going out and buying a vintage nickle dime quarter one armed bandit and putting it in my den. Then I am going to indulge in too many adult beverages and gamble my rearend off. The worst that will happen is I’ll get a hangover. But I won’t be paying any “taxes” on my fun. I can hardly wait to be up and in operation, heck I may throw a party and let friends and neighbors play my machine. All for fun, of course.

Comment by A Citizen Tuesday, May 15, 07 @ 5:26 pm
Gambling money is not “free money”. It’s money that was already here and available to be put to work for the public good.

It comes out of the local economy, and most of it rolls on out of state to the owners of the casino licenses. It comes out of other uses, like savings accounts, investments in refurbishing a home and property, it comes out of money that could have been spent on buying a house or car, or even just groceries, or heath care, or tuition, local goods and services. The state takes a small cut and the rest flows out of Illinois like a river.

It is far, far from “free” money.

“So what” you say; “It’s my disposable income to do with as I wish”.

Yes, for the well-off, it is a matter of “so-what”. But the bulk of the target market for these casinos are not high rollers or even tourists. They are mid to low-income people. They are being preyed upon, under the guise of being divertingly entertained.

The revenue the state gets out of the casinos goes thru many, many open hands before what’s left becomes services and support for those very same people.

They, and we as a state, would be way ahead to invest the money directly in local business and services and programs, instead of scrabbling for the meager leavings as the bulk of the gambling money departs for the sunny West. Gambling is a robbery where you make the victim hold the gun on himself while you go thru his pockets. It’s as regressive as you can get.

Comment by Gregor Tuesday, May 15, 07 @ 7:17 pm
Yes I support expanded gaming. Put the casinos where the people are - Cook County. I’d love it if there were slots at racetracks; I think they should even have slots at the OTB’s. Gambling is a voluntary tax. I’d be happy to see gambling revenue from Cook County benefit the rest of the State.

Comment by Jechislo Tuesday, May 15, 07 @ 9:22 pm
Yes we need expanded gambling to pay for the free health insurance for all the people who can’t afford health insurance because they have a gambling addiction.
We also need to legalize marijuana to pay for the free health insurance for all of the people who can’t afford health insurance because they have drug addictions.
Hamster wheel….

Comment by Reformed Tuesday, May 15, 07 @ 9:54 pm
Yes, expaned gambling! Video Poker Machines in all the taverns….it’ll make up for the loss of business due to the smoking ban!

Comment by Kevin Highland Wednesday, May 16, 07 @ 7:50 am
YES Slots at the tracks has shown to be a proven economic developer in other states (and in Canada as well). The growth in the agriculture industry around the state would be tremendous if only the tracks got slots - as opposed to a loss of jobs if the racing industry is not allowed to regain its vitality.

Comment by observer Wednesday, May 16, 07 @ 9:48 pm
If we’re going to expand gambling, why do we want to limit to only locations where only rich investors will be able to profit from it? Why not make gambling closer and more accessible to anyone who wants it so they won’t have to waste all that gas money driving to a casino…. and let all the small businesses take advantage of it? Then they can return the video poker machines to the bars in Lyons and Dick Duchossois won’t be the only one taking the large % off the top. Actually, I don’t believe the state should be financed through gambling. Get a backbone and accept that we have to pay for governmental services.

Comment by NoGiftsPlease Thursday, May 17, 07 @ 7:36 pm