South Suburb Lawmakers Implore Gov Pritzker To Help Speed Up Casino Licensing

In a letter to Governor, five lawmakers from the southern suburbs asked Gov. JB Pritzker will participate in the Illinois Gaming Board andrsquo( IGB ) casino license procedure.

The operation has been progressing at a very slow pace so far. In 2019, Pritzker sanctioned the expansion of gambling by endorsing six potential additional casino licenses. Up until now, the IGB has not issued a second registration.

Progress on the south suburban license has been particularly minimal. Projects in Rockford and Williamson County are nearing full approval, however, the south suburbs seem far from reaching that stage.

The Chicago Tribune conveyed that the letter was written by the five lawmakers:

“Over the past two years, your constituents in south suburban Chicago have encountered numerous challenges. However, the most significant setback may be the local government’s refusal to act upon the legislature-approved proposals intended to stimulate local economies, create new jobs, and increase income levels.”

“Please encourage the IGB to act. Every day we delay the casino project in the Southland, families in our area are being denied the opportunity to secure better jobs and higher incomes. In the Southland, annual household income can be as low as $27,000.”

In 2019, several western residential developers submitted their applications. The IGB had to make a decision within a year, otherwise a written justification was needed to delay the process.

The deadline for one year passed in fall 2020, and the two-year mark is imminent.

IGB Administrator Marcus Fruchter stated in a speech responding to the letter:

“The Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) is fully aware of the significance of the new casino license to the communities in the southern suburbs. The application procedure for casinos is a challenging yet crucial process.”

Recently, Fruchter has attributed the delays to COVID-19 and the applicants themselves.

The IGB is set to hold its next meeting, typically featuring game reports, on September 9.

There is a backlog of applicants from southern residential areas.

The delay in the southern suburban license application process, compared to areas like Rockford and Williamson County, is due to the numerous applicants.

Four curious engineers exist, while certain regions only received a single bid. Consequently, it stands to reason that the southern residential license would necessitate more time as each applicant must be evaluated by the IGB. Waukegan is a connected entity.

State Representative Anthony DeLuca, one of the politicians who signed the letter, brought up the potential involvement of Pritzker & rsquo.

“I don’t think any governor, politician, or legislator should interfere with the current process of the gaming board, but they should definitely monitor it. We can certainly inform the Southland about our concerns, which doesn’t appear to be happening right now.”

The letter was also signed by State Representative Bob Rita. Earlier this year, Rita had co-sponsored a bill for an online casino in the House, which unfortunately did not pass.

The most recent on various casino licenses in Illinois

As previously stated, both Hard Rock Casino Rockford and Walker & rsquo’s Bluff Casino in Williamson County are nearing full approval.

The IGB had initially deemed each “ldquo” suitable earlier this year. The “rsquo” is the final step before receiving final approval.

The Hard Rock is planning to establish a temporary casino while building its permanent facility. Walker & rsquo, s Bluff, which is a few months behind Hard Rock in their construction timeline, is also in the development process.

We don’t have much information beyond those two regions. However, we are aware that the city of Chicago is finding it difficult to generate interest for its license.

Due to high tax rates and other unfavorable conditions, most of the major US gaming companies are opting not to bid on the Chicago casino license. Rush Street Gaming could be a serious contender, but for now, that’s all the information available.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot has pushed back the bidding deadline from August to October. Despite Chicago’s difficulties in attracting gaming operators, Lightfoot has preemptively criticized the IGB for its sluggish process.

It will take years for some of these games to be constructed. In the meantime, Illinois continues to do what it does.