Casino news source: PBStar - http://www.pjstar.com
Committee passes casino bill
Measure could bring billions into state coffers
Saturday, April 28, 2007
SPRINGFIELD (GNS) - A bill creating four new casino licenses and allowing slot machines at horse racing tracks cleared a House committee Friday, but could be a long way from coming to a vote in the full House.
With only Democrats voting for the bill, the House Gaming Committee approved House Bill 480 that also allows existing riverboat casinos to expand their operations.
Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie, said the measure could bring up to $3 billion into state coffers the first year and more than $2 billion a year after that, on top of money the state already gets from gambling. The money could be used for any state expenses, he said, ranging from education to pensions to underwriting a construction bond program.
Lang acknowledged that he hasn't even begun to count how many lawmakers might vote for the bill.
"We've gone through this (gambling) exercise for many years," said Rep. Brent Hassert of Romeoville, the ranking Republican on the committee. "Until we seriously want to sit down and negotiate any expansion of gaming, Republicans are just going to cautiously sit back and wait."
The bill authorizes new riverboat casinos for Lake County, somewhere in the south suburbs of Chicago and within 10 miles of O'Hare Airport. Another casino license would be set aside for the city of Chicago.
Existing casinos are now allowed to have 1,200 gaming "positions." Under the bill, they could increase that to 2,000, and the Chicago casino would have 4,000 positions.
The five horse racing tracks in Illinois also would be allowed to install slot machines. |
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