(Illinois) House OKs Chicago casino, slots at O’Hare, Midway

Source: Chicago Tribune

A major gambling package won House approval today with provisions for a land-based casino in Chicago or a riverboat gambling palace on Lake Michigan, four more casinos around the state, and slot machines at racetracks and Chicago’s two airports.

If the plan makes it through the Senate and gets the governor's signature, it would be Illinois' biggest expansion of gambling in the more than two decades since the original riverboat gambling bill passed.

... "I am pleased that the Ilinois House has approved legislation that allows for a casino in Chicago and I urge the Illinois Senate to act swiftly to pass this bill," (Chicago Mayor Rahm) Emanuel said in a statement. "A Chicago casino will spur local economic growth and provide jobs to Chicagoans, both needed to get our city moving again.

... Rep. David Harris, R-Arlington Heights, told colleagues the bill represents a “massive expansion” of gambling and there is a “societal price to be paid” with thousands of new gambling positions going on line. But he said he would reluctantly support the proposal, noting that the shuttering of Arlington Park would cost Arlington Heights a million dollars in year in revenues.

Read more: http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clout_st/2011/05/house-oks-chicago-casino-slots-at-ohare-midway.html

When their long term goals include bringing down society as we know it.

a lottery.

Looking forward to my quintessential historic town in New England getting the slots. Should make it a great place to live. :sarcasm:

Getting Social Security quarters from Granny is simply obscene.

That's putting it kindly. I've heard some Pennsylvania legislators refer to casino gambling as a tax on the stupid. Why should Pennsylvania's senior citizens have to pay for buses to take them to Atlantic City casinos or over to West Virginia when they can lose their meager incomes in their home state?

Plus it's another great advantage of dumbing down the American public school system.

...I've never had the gambling "bug"...at the most, I would waste a roll of nickles in Vegas but that was it...flushing my money down a toilet would feel the same to me.

However, many many others do get that addiction thing...like drinking...like smoking...like drugs.

I think it's absolutely sick that gambling is virtually encouraged, all for picking the pockets of the last penny, that people have.

Illinois needs the tax money, and they need more jobs.

There is nothing wrong with gambling in moderation. I enjoy going to a football game, and that can cost 100.00. If somebody instead wanted to spend 100.00 at the casino, then who am I to question that.

I know some people are irresponsible, but gambling exist in many places near Illinois already, it may be closer and easier to get to if this law passes, but I don't think we should restrict freedom because some people can't handle it properly.

it does damage to society, you should also fan smoking and alcohol.

So lets ban smoking, drinking, strip clubs, gay marriage, abortion, lotteries, horse racing, and Sarah Palin. All of these are considered vice to some people.

I was at the Pilot truck stop in Gary, Indiana, in late 2009 talking to this driver. Oh, was he pissed at the City of Chicago.

He and his wife (quite a few drivers I've met went out as a husband-wife team) dropped their trailer at a shipper's dock for loading and went to a nearby laundromat in the tractor. There were no "No Truck Parking" signs in the area, and the laundromat owner assured them "oh yes, trucks park right in this spot all the time" so they parked and started washing clothes.

While they were in there, the city decided to tow their truck--even though it wasn't marked as such.

The husband called the city and found out where to go to get their truck back. It cost him $1000.

His wife put on a dress from her laundry, said something like "see you in three hours" and disappeared.

He went to City Hall and threw a fit. They decided they were wrong and gave him his $1000 back, which doesn't happen very often.

His wife went to the riverboats and made $2000 playing poker.

That reminds me of this song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjP2O9Qe4Ek

Seriously. I have never seen it happen, nor have I heard it on the news...

People (adults) decide to go to these places and they choose to participate in the games. Personally, it leaves me cold, but I figure that it is not up to me to decide for anyone else how they spend their time and money. YMMV, but as long as the state is not paying to build these casinos, then I figure let the investors build where they please as long as it doesn't violate local zoning laws.


:shrug:



Laura