Rockford casino operator to be decided
The three proponents to develop a Rockford casino await for the government’s decision, which may dismiss one of them next week.
US.- The city recently held a public hearing to assess three Rockford casino proposals. As the government seeks to make a decision, it looks to narrow options down. That’s why Mayor Tom McNamara said they might cut one out as soon as next week.
“Through that process, we’ll start to narrow that down, probably get it down to two,” McNamara told Eyewitness News. The potential developers are Hard Rock International, Forest City Casino, and the Rock River West Group.
“The turnout (for the hearing) was pretty much what we expected,” said McNamara. “I think it was a good opportunity for residents to get really the first full blush of every single proposal. I thought there were a lot of good questions and I think all 3 proposers did their best.”
The government must send Rockford casino applications before November. Then, the Illinois Gaming Board will select one.
Taxes
The gambling industry in Illinois keeps reporting changes, this time by introducing a new law that will allow Rockford to increase taxes. On August 9, Governor J.B. Pritzker signed into law a bill that allows Rockford to raise taxes on video gaming machines.
The Senate Bill 1558, which takes effect immediately, was sponsored by Senator Steve Stadelman. It allows Rockford to raise licence fees on video gaming machines in order to generate more revenue.
Current laws feature a non-home rule that says that cities in Illinois can’t charge more than US$25 annually for a video gaming machine licence. The new Illinois law raises the limit to US$250, but it only does in Rockford.
