Chicago’s outgoing Mayor believes that a downtown casino would hurt the city’s convention business
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel presented his vision for a long-sought casino in Chicago during a Wednesday meeting with the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board, floating a portion of port district land on the city’s Far Southeast Side as the potential location of the venue.
Mr. Emanuel pointed out that he has had a “love-hate” relationship with the idea of a gambling facility in his city, but the fact that Chicagoans spend $40 million a month on gambling at Indiana casinos finally convinced him that something needed to be done.
The Mayor is set to step down in May, but said yesterday that he would make one final push before the Legislature to bring a casino to the Windy City. The official further elaborated that gambling-related bills are usually passed during the first session of a new General Assembly and that lawmakers will have to pass a budget by May, which means that a proposal for a casino in Chicago will be probably be tabled as part of the upcoming budget discussions.
Mr. Emanuel disclosed on Wednesday that negotiations have begun with Rep. Bob Rita, who is expected to once again make a push for statewide gambling expansion. Rep. Rita presented a comprehensive gambling expansion package during the last legislative session, but that one did not advance far into the Legislature. However, the lawmaker has made it clear that he will make another try in 2019. Among other things, next year’s bill could include provisions for sports betting and online gambling.
Preferred Location
Mayor Emanuel said yesterday that if the Legislature gives the green light to a casino in Chicago, he does not want the venue to be located anywhere in downtown. The official instead pointed to an Illinois International Port District site in the city’s Southeast Side as a good location for the facility.
The plot of land the Mayor has in mind is currently home to a golf course. The port district, which is a city-state entity, owns the site. Mr. Emanuel said that there is enough land in that area for both a hotel and a casino and that the establishment of such facilities would come as a big economic boon to that part of the city.
It is also important to note that the site is located just 4 miles from Horseshoe Hammond in neighboring Indiana. As mentioned earlier, the facility monthly draws a number of visitors from Chicago and millions in revenue spent by them.
Of that, Mayor Emanuel said Wednesday that if they are going to lose money to Indiana, then why don’t they “bring this economic asset to a part of the city that doesn’t have it?” He went on that they can create a scenario where jobs and visitors are captured 4 miles before Hammond.
The official admitted that a site near McCormick Place had long been considered as a possible home to a new casino. However, he said that a gambling facility in that area would hurt Chicago’s convention business, pointing out that unlike Vegas, where people go to gamble, or Orlando, where people go to play, his city is a place where people come to do business. According to the outgoing Mayor, a casino in downtown Chicago could actually undermine growth and jobs.
Mayor Emanuel’s casino comments arrive at a time when the official is addressing legislators with a set of proposals aimed at finding revenue sources for Chicago’s struggling pension system. The Mayor is also pushing for the legalization of recreational marijuana and for distribution of proceeds from its sale to cover pension costs.
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