June 1, 2007
Gambling Action Alert
Senate Passes Massive Gambling Expansion Bill
Last night at 11:30 p.m. the Senate passed a massive gambling expansion bill (HB 25) with 30 Democratic votes. During the floor debate, Sen. Dillard said this bill was the biggest gambling expansion in the history of the state. The bill adds at least 28,000 new gambling positions to triple the amount of casino gambling in Illinois.
HB 25 authorizes a city-owned casino for Chicago that cannot be revoked or suspended and is ripe for corruption. The bill also legalizes 3 additional casinos for Waukegan, South Suburbs, and 4 miles from O'Hare in addition to the 10th license, which can still be issued. That would expand the number of casinos in Illinois to 14! The bill expands the number of gambling positions at the casinos from 1,200 to 3,500. The land-based casino in Chicago would have 4,000 gambling positions. An additional 600 gambling positions at each casino can be purchased by a minority-owned or female-owned business. No business can own more than 50 positions, which are then leased to the casinos. In addition, each casino can have 100 Electronic poker (online or video poker) positions at each casino.
HB 25 legalizes Account Deposit Wagering, allowing people to place bets over the phone or Internet. This allows people to gamble legally on horse racing in their homes! The Illinois Gaming Board ordered Penn National to sell casinos in Joliet and Alton when they bought out Argosy Gaming in 2006. HB 25 allows Penn National to by-pass the Illinois Gaming Board and retain all 3 gambling licenses in Alton, Joliet, Aurora.
For Immediate Action
- Contact the Governor by e-mail or call (800-642-3112) to tell him to oppose this massive expansion of gambling. Gambling is not a viable option to fund education and balance the budget.
- Call your State Representative (217-782-2000) and ask him/her to take gambling off the table.
- Share this Action Alert with your Church, Synagogue, or Mosque.
- Forward to 8 others.
- E-mail your Senator with your thoughts.