Managers of the Jumer’s Casino in Rock Island are opposed to adding more casinos in Illinois…including one in Danville. Jumer’s spokesman Bill Renk says any new casinos in the state would likely merely poach players from existing casinos. And Rend adds the legislation being considered to add more casinos is coming at a time when more and more people in the state are choosing video poker over a trip to the casino.
Operators of the casino in Rock Island say they already have enough competition. And they worry how the plan to add six more casinos in the state might impact their operation.
A bill that cleared the Illinois Senate last week proposes allowing six new casinos…including ones in Danville, Chicago, Rockford, Lake County, the south suburbs, and in Williamson County in southern Illinois. But the bill is part of a ‘grand bargain’ with a dozen other bills. And there was a side agreement that if all parts of the grand bargain failed to win approval, none of them would advance. And one of the bills regarding pension reforms failed to muster enough support.
Illinois lawmakers are meeting today and could revive the efforts to reach agreement on a new budget deal.
