Gambling expansion in Illinois still on the table

The gambling expansion in Illinois would allow a casino in Chicago and riverboat casinos in multiple locations.

US.- Illinois has been trying to expand gambling for quite some time, and with the recent election that put J.B. Pritzker in the Governor seat, some lawmakers are confident enough to introduce new legislation to make it happen.

This is why a House Democrat decided to revive a plan that would expand casino gambling in the state by linking it to a popular sports betting measure. Representative Robert Rita obtained on Monday Executive Committee approval to continue with the proposal.

The initiative would pave the way for gambling expansion in Illinois and allow a land-based casino in Chicago and multiple riverboat casinos in locations such as Rockford, Lake County, a south suburb of Chicago, Danville and southern Illinois. Moreover, there would be additional gambling at additional sites, including horse racing tracks, the Chicago Sun Times reports.

While this measure has failed on numerous occasions, Rita said that he is improving the measure’s odds by linking it to a legislation to legalise sports betting. Advocates for this legislative piece see it as a positive thing to finance the Governor’s proposed US$41.5 billion state-construction program.

Rita trusts the government’s engagement

“We have a governor’s office [that’s] engaged. We have the Senate that’s engaged. I’m engaged with all of them,” Rita said. “We’ve never been all engaged together, along with the Republicans. There’s a lot more will in doing something. It feels very different,” said Rita on Sunday, before obtaining the approval for the bill that would allow gambling expansion in Illinois.

“People want casinos in their regions,” he said. “If we go forward with just sports betting, where does that leave what we’ve been working on all these years? We’re looking for money. This is a way of putting additional money to the state.”