When Danville submits its application for a new casino on Eastgate Drive to the Illinois Gaming Board, it could take a while for state officials to approve it.
The Chicago Sun-Times reports that the board is delaying its application approval process for another six months. Administrator Marcus Fruchter blamed the extension on the pandemic, saying the understaffed agency has more of a caseload than it can handle.
Four applicants are vying for a casino in south suburban Cook County, another for Waukegan, and other casinos in Rockford and Marion. Fruchter says the delay for those applications would likely last until May of 2021.
Mayor Rickey Williams Jr. told Vermilion County First News yesterday that a delay wouldn’t be a problem, as the proposed 2021 city budget does not include any potential revenue from a casino.
The mayor says the casino site is undergoing a traffic study. He says he hopes to approve the final application in the next few weeks before submitting it to the gaming board.
