The Illinois General Assembly has only recently given the green light to the long-awaited gambling expansion bill and although the measure has not been yet signed by the state Governor J.B. Pritzker, there have been plans to make the state Gaming Board more “pro-gaming”, as revealed by Senator Terry Link who has been a gambling expansion proponent for years.
There are still some aspects of the gambling expansion which remain unclear, including the exact location of the new Chicago casino. According to Senator Link, who also sponsored the piece of legislation, there would be rapid changes in the state soon, especially considering the fact that the state Gaming Board would be tasked to regulate six new casino venues, including a privately-owned gambling entity in Chicago.
The local Gaming Board is likely to grow to five members, with Governor Pritzker being expected to appoint a new executive director in July to replace Don Tracy. The Governor’s office has not provided much extensive information about the changes which are set to be brought to the board and the upcoming appointments. The spokesperson Emily Bittner said in a statement that the current appointees of the Governor would all comply with the language of SB690.
The Exact Location of Chicago’s New Mega-Casino Remains Unknown
As previously reported by CasinoGamesPro, there will be six new casinos across the state of Illinois as part of the gambling expansion. The venues will be set in Chicago, Williamson County in the southern part of the state, Waukegan, Danville in the east-central region of Illinois, in the south suburbs and in Rockford in the northern part of the state.
Still, some changes could be brought under a feasibility study which is required in the bill. A trailer bill is also expected in order to clarify any issues which arise from the above-mentioned study.
Apart from that, a strict timeline has been provided to make sure that the casinos start operation and bring contribution to the state. Under the piece of legislation, the Illinois Gaming Board must choose an independent analyst to study the feasibility of a Chicago casino and issue a report within 150 days of the measure taking effect. As revealed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot, the study will also be used to help the authorities determine whether the taxation structure established by the General Assembly would be viable. The results of the study would be presented for final approval to the state’s gaming board.
As previously revealed, the new mega-casino in Chicago would be allowed to have up to 4,000 gambling positions, which is three times more than any other casino which is currently operating in Illinois. It would be regulated by the Illinois Gaming Board. The revenue contributions of the casino would be divided into thirds between the state, the city and the private owner of the venue.
The mayor of Chicago has not yet revealed where the casino could be established. Governor Pritzker, on the other hand, has said he would prefer to see the venue placed at a separate location from the downtown business district.
