Four new casinos
in Chicago a possibility
The Gov. Rod Blagojevich announced yesterday
that he will back up gambling legislation for four new casinos
in the Chicago area.
Blagojevich,
who put a strong opposition to the Mayor Daley's plan for a
casino in Chicago in 2004, is justifying his new stand on the
issue with additional business taxes to fund health care,
schools and mass transit.
The Governor and the Senate President Emil
Jones are backing up a $5 billion plan which calls for three
riverboat licenses to be authorized for Waukegan, the south
suburbs, and some point within an eight-mile radius of O'Hare
Airport, plus Chicago would get a casino, as well.
Under this gambling legislation, 2% of
revenues, estimated $40 million, from the four casinos will go
to Chicago State University, an provision attacked by the
republicans in the state Senate. The four casinos in Chicago are
expected to take about $2 billion in yearly revenue.
The bill went out of Senate committee by a
vote of 8-5.
05/26/2007
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