Illinois House panel rejects gambling expansion bill

Chicago was expecting to feature a casino, but the recent voting has lowered the chances.

US.- An Illinois House panel voted down a massive gambling expansion bill on Monday, but there is still a chance that it could resurface later this week. Senate Bill 7 would bring six new casinos to the state, and one of them would be located in Chicago.

The six new casinos would be located in Chicago, Lake County, the south suburbs, Williamson County in southern Illinois, Rockford and Danville. Horse tracks would also be converted into casinos, while slots would be allowed at two casinos.

Arlington Park track manager Tony Petrillo said: “The industry is in desperate need of help. We are on the verge of extinction from fierce competition from surrounding states that have horse racing and have casino-type gaming. The decline of the Illinois racing industry and breeding industry is a $2.5 billion industry … if this is enacted, it will help reverse this decline.”

Lobbyist for Penn National Gaming, Jay Keller, added: “This bill is a massive expansion and would put Illinois at a level that I’m not sure people have considered.” SB 7 would authorise 22,000 new gaming positions, and added to what Illinois already features, it would give the state the equivalent of 52 casinos.