Dear Barack, Good news from home for a change! Our “governor” Quinn has taken a stand against the unfettered proliferation of gambling in Illinois. He feels “some” is okay, but not “a lot,” without actually quantifying either amount. The “Race” will decide that! He says he doesn’t want Illinois to become known as the “Las [...]
IFI Update: You Did It – The New Gambling Bill Fails
November 10, 2011 By
The “new” gambling bill, which wasn’t that much different from the one passed by the Illinois General Assembly in May, failed in the Illinois House this evening by a vote of 58 to 53 with 3 voting present. This bill received fewer “yes” votes than did the original version which garnered 65 votes. The champion [...]
IFI E-Alert: Gambling Expansion — Again
November 8, 2011 By
Adding to the 10 casinos we currently have in Illinois, residents of this state face the prospect of having 15 casinos in the near future, making Illinois a top contender for the most anti-family and predatory gambling state in the nation. Supporters of the bill say this gambling expansion will bring in jobs, but at [...]
SB 1849 doubles the amount of casino gambling in IL
November 8, 2011 By
Gambling Action Alert / SB 1849 was passed in the House Executive Committee today and could be called for a vote on Wednesday. This massive expansion of gambling doubles the amount of casino gambling in Illinois by legalizing 20,150 new gambling positions at 11 new locations5 land-based casinos and 6 racetrack casinos. SB 1849 contains [...]
Horse tracks, casinos both giving big in Illinois gambling expansion battle
October 26, 2011 By
From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: SPRINGFIELD, Ill. • Illinois horse racing interests want slot machines at the tracks to fatten their purses. The state’s existing casinos are trying to stop it because they don’t want the competition. The two gambling industries have one thing in common: They both gave massive amounts of campaign money to [...]
Gambling Action Alert: Track owners meet with Gov. Quinn
October 14, 2011 By
It’s a sure bet that gaming expansion will come up during the Legislature’s fall veto session, but who will win and who will bust is uncertain, according to Illinois Statehouse News. Quinn has criticized the legislation repeatedly. “The bill that they have proposed has many, many defects, and it needs to be improved substantially,” Quinn [...]
Gambling Action Alert & Update: 200 Pastors Implore Gov. Quinn to Veto SB 744
October 11, 2011 By
Illinois Family Institute sent a letter to Governor Quinn, with signatures from 200 Illinois pastors. The letter implores the governor to veto the massive gambling expansion bill, SB 744. The letter states in part: Gambling addiction is linked to bankruptcy, home foreclosure, depression, and white-collar crime, all of which lead to family stress and can [...]
More than 200 Pastors Join IFI in Urging Gov. Quinn to Veto SB 744
October 11, 2011 By
From the Illinois Family Institute: The Illinois Family Institute has sent a letter to Governor Quinn , with more than 200 signatures of Illinois pastors. The letter implores the governor to veto the massive gambling bill passed by the Illinois General Assembly during the closing days of the Spring Session — Senate Bill 744. The [...]
Gambling Action Alert: Gov. Quinn will detail proposed changes to SB 744
October 8, 2011 By
Legislators and gambling interests have been pressuring Governor Quinn to let them know what he wants changed in the massive gambling expansion bill (SB 744), so they can write and pass another bill in the Veto Session, which starts October 25. Illinois lawmakers say they have crafted a bill that will please everyone, but Governor [...]
Gov. Quinn won’t sign SB 1849; Revenue projections from expansion lowered
Gov. Pat Quinn’s office touted a new report that concludes Illinois wouldn’t get much extra money through a massive expansion of gambling, a finding that seems to support the governor’s call for a more restrained approach. The report says an initial gambling expansion bill passed by lawmakers would bring in about $160 million in new [...]