Illinois Senate leaders are poised to vote on a so-called “grand bargain” that would include six new casino licenses, slots at racetracks and more gaming positions at existing casinos. Under the legislation being considered, new casinos are planned for Chicago, the south suburbs of Chicago, Lake and Williamson counties, Rockford and Danville. At the state capital, Springfield Ward 8 Alderman Kris Theilen said, “If they’re looking at Danville and the Chicago area, why not Springfield? It’s not a stretch to say that we could put something here.”
Springfield faces a multimillion-dollar budget gap for the fiscal year that starts March 1. Mayor Jim Langfelder said he’d be willing to consider a casino at the fairgrounds or downtown. But he’s concerned that a casino could have a negative impact on the existing video gambling market.
“What I’ve gathered from restaurants and bars is that video gaming has helped them through tough times. That’s something we have to take into consideration,” Langfelder said.
Theilen acknowledges a casino license for Springfield is not a possibility this legislative session. However, he said with construction and permanent jobs plus millions of dollars in taxes in the balance, he is ready to start a discussion. State Rep. Sara Wojcicki Jimenez also said she’d be willing to talk with local officials about a casino in Springfield but she had some reservations.
“I do think it reaches a saturation point where if you have too many places and spots, it’s redistributing the folks that go to these places for entertainment. I think that has to be part of the discussion,” she said.
There is plenty of opposition against more casino gambling in Illinois. Lobbyists for the state’s 10 casinos and advocates of video gaming believe gambling has reached a saturation point. Casino revenue dropped 27 percent in the past decade, from $2 billion in 2007 to $1.4 billion in 2016, according to the state Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability’s annual gambling report. “Over the past several years, numerous factors have influenced the performance of Illinois riverboats, including the indoor smoking ban, the tumultuous economy, the opening of the casino in Des Plaines and the introduction of video gaming,” the report said.
Anita Bedell, executive director of the Illinois Church Action on Alcohol and Addiction Problems, said “With all the video gambling machines in Springfield and Sangamon County and surrounding areas, they’re already saturated with those machines.”
