IL State Senator Not Happy With Gaming Board’s Slow Pace

Over the past year, the Illinois gaming bill & rsquo’s implementation process hasn’t exactly gone without a hitch. As a result, this week’s remarks from Illinois state senator Dave Syverson to the Illinois Gaming Board ( IGB ) were harsh.

Nine months previously, Hard Rock submitted a game plan.

Rockford is represented by Syverson. He claimed that although the city’s game proposal was submitted nine weeks before, it has not yet been approved. The game may be run by Hard Rock International, and the IGB anticipates approving it by October.

“[October] is 12 months from the time it was submitted,” Syverson told The Center Square. “It is just ridiculous that it’s taking this long for a group just to review a simple application.”

Syverson is miffed that the IGB doesn’t seem to be making every effort to apply growth while COVID-19 is still in progress. Syverson claims that if anything, the epidemic ought to hasten their efforts.

According to Syverson,” Andldquo, We & rsquo have asked [ IGB ] if the location can begin doing some development at their own expense. Can they do the land work, & ldquo? May they proceed with that now, while the weather is favorable, to gain an advantage? And the game board declared,”& lsquo, No, you can’t raise a shovel on that property, or we’re going to cancel that contract.” Andrsquo, But it’s truly absurd. & rdquo,

IGB & rsquo’s response

Marcus Fruchter, the superintendent of the IGB, attributes the slow-moving approach to lawmakers as the cause. He points out that these kinks could have been resolved by legislators who had been debating the game bill for almost ten years.

& ldquo, According to Fruchter, if any legislator desired a less moral or stringent new casino software procedure, they could have changed the law over those ten years to speed up the IGB assessment and acceptance process. Additionally, since the bill became law in June of last year, the IGB & rsquo’s obligations have more than doubled. & rdquo,

Gov. Around a year ago, JB Pritzker signed the legislation allowing for six innovative casinos in Illinois. Rockford & rsquo, according to Syverson, should be one of the first ideas taken into consideration because it already has a casino operator. Williamson County in the south is analogous.

They are both anxiously waiting, Andrdquo, Syverson said. The other applications are more difficult, & ldquo. Why not start with the simple, clear people, finish those two, have them approved, and get them up and running before moving on to the other programs? & rdquo,

The danger of holding off on constructing Hard Rock

Syverson & rsquo’s worries are dual in nature. First and foremost, it should go without saying that the longer the approval process takes, the more time it takes to generate millions of dollars in state profits and hundreds of new jobs.

You have 250 employees who are lounging around doing nothing, & ldquo, Syverson said, with the casinos closed and the video gaming closed. The staff members who are currently working on the program are also present and receiving compensation. Additionally, you have a ton of different team members who have nothing to do who could have helped them with getting it done. & rdquo,

Then there & rsquo is the potential for out-of-state rivals to defeat Illinois casinos to open in particular areas. For instance, a mega-cashroom proposal has been made for Beloit, Wisconsin, which is about 30 minutes’ push from Rockford. Syverson worries that Rockford might gain clients if it doesn’t work quickly.

If Beloit opens up, & ldquo First, you & rsquo, we’re going to get people who want to go there and who might feel at ease doing so, and we might keep them there even after Rockford opens up, Syverson said. & ldquo, We could have easily defeated them. However, it is clear that the game board doesn’t seem to give a damn. & rdquo,

Beyond of criticizing politicians, Fruchter gave a hazy reaction.

There isn’t a standard timeline for the Board’s review and analysis procedure, according to Fruchter. The IGB makes no comments or assumptions about possible future Board actions, fictitious operating scenarios, or timelines. The IGB only states that it is running, vetting, and looking into the new casino applicant submissions; it makes no comments about the status of ongoing applications. & rdquo,

Illinois & rsquo, casino drama won’t be disappearing anytime soon, if we had to guess. We & rsquo will keep you informed of the most recent developments.