Seven groups push for Danville casino
A Danville casino project has drawn major interest in Illinois as there are already seven groups interested in developing the venue.
US.- Recent legislation paved the way for gambling expansion in Illinois. Besides sports betting, new casinos will soon arrive in several parts of the state. A casino in Danville is one of the soon-to-open venues and has drawn major interest.
According to Mayor Rickey Williams, seven groups have voiced their interest in the project. Officials had sent out solicitations of interest to about 50 casino owners and developers.
All interested parties have until July 31 to submit applications detailing their proposals. Such information will be considered by a steering committee formed by Williams, Alderman Mike Puhr and community leaders.
The committee will review the applications for a Danville casino and choose a few to interview. Then, it’ll make a recommendation to the city council for final approval.
The gambling expansion
The gaming industry continues to expand. After waiting for nearly a month, Illinois joined the sports betting market as Governor JB Pritzker signed the respective bill.
The piece of legislation cleared the General Assembly earlier in June. Senate Bill 690 passed the high chamber on a 46-10 vote and was awaiting the governor’s signature.
“Together we passed the largest, most robust capital plan in this state’s history,” Pritzker said. “We’re investing US$45 billion over six years to fix what’s broken and repair what needs fixing.”
The bill authorises six new casinos in downtown Chicago, Williamson County, Rockford, Waukegan, Danville and South Suburbs. Moreover, those facilities, as well as race tracks and sports venues with more than 17,000 seats will also be eligible to buy Illinois sports betting licences.