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Casino Could Go up Near O'Hare

The Bulls, the Blackhawks and the Bears stink to high heaven, so unless it's summer and Sammy's rounding the bags, catching a game at a cocktail lounge is a bust. So what's there to do other than drop 50 bucks on a periodical and pray that there's enough meat between the advertisements to pacify you as you slouch in an armless chair listening to announcements that your flight is leaving late.

For many, the scenario could soon change, thanks to the passing of state legislation that approves casino gambling in Cook County. And a likely site for the new riverboat is in Rosemont, only minutes from O'Hare.

Aside from airports in Las Vegas and Reno, where travelers can toss coins into slot machines located in the terminals, no other major U.S. airport is this close to a casino. If it happens, business travelers and vacationers with a few hours to kill will be able to access the boat within a few minutes by cab or train.

A combination of a locals, who currently have to travel outside of the Chicago vicinity to gamble, and travelers from the World's second busiest airport, would likely make a casino in Rosemont a booming success. Similar success is enjoyed by casinos in Maryland Heights, Mo., a ten-minute drive from Lambert International airport near St. Louis.

"We have the opportunity to attract these visitors from across the nation who fly into O'Hare,'' said Peter Lombardi, the executive director of the Rosemont Convention Bureau Executive Director Peter Lombardi. "If they're delayed two or three hours, they can hop in a cab or the train and be here in a minute. Then they can get back on a plane.''

Illinois Governor George Ryan has indicated that he will likely sign the bill allowing gambling in Cook County.

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