SEARCH NEWS:

 

Illinois Expansion Plan Hits Obstacle

SPRINGFIELD, Illinois – As reported by the Associated Press: "A plan to bring four new casinos to Illinois and expand gambling at the existing ones hit choppy water in the Legislature on Tuesday with a dispute over whether to lower taxes on the state's riverboat casinos.

"Longtime gambling proponent Sen. Denny Jacobs dropped his support for the plan after the Senate's president refused to lower the riverboats' taxes as an incentive for the casinos to expand.

"Without that incentive, Jacobs said, casino operators and lawmakers won't support the measure

"…Supporters have been pushing the massive gambling expansion plan as a way to generate $1.8 billion to help fill an estimated $2.3 billion hole in the state budget. The measure counts largely on revenue from the sale of four new casino licenses — including a mega-casino to be owned by the city of Chicago — and from thousands of new positions at riverboats and the first slot machines at horse tracks…"

< Gaming News