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Monday, Oct. 17, 2011
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Quinn opposes slot machines at racetracks
By DEANNA BELLANDI - Associated Press
By DEANNA BELLANDI E-Mail
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CHICAGO -- Gov. Pat Quinn won't support slot machines at Illinois racetracks but he signed off Monday on five new casinos in the state, including one in Chicago, when he outlined the framework for an expansion of gambling he could support.
Of course the new casinos can't hurt the tracks,can they? DOOFUSSQuinn's proposal also doesn't include slot machines at Chicago's O'Hare and Midway airports, something lawmakers approved. He urged lawmakers to craft a new bill and not pursue the one they have passed because he said he would veto it if it's sent to him.
"Unless these principles are followed, there's no way I will approve a bill," Quinn said at a Chicago news conference. Lawmakers approved a massive gambling expansion bill in May but have never sent it to him because they feared his veto.
Sponsors of the bill have previously warned that major changes to the legislation, which enjoys strong support from Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, could sink it. One of the chief sponsors, Democratic Rep. Lou Lang of Skokie, was not immediately available for comment.
Despite Quinn's suggested changes, he said he was amenable to allowing five new casinos - one each in Chicago, southern Cook County, Rockford and Danville and Lake County. Although, Quinn said he wants the Illinois Gaming Board to choose the location in Lake County rather than award a casino to the town of Park City as lawmakers wanted. He didn't explain why.
Quinn's other changes included regulatory adjustments that would put a Chicago casino under the thumb of the Illinois Gaming Board, like the state's other casinos, rather than allow local oversight.
The governor said not allowing slots at tracks is a way to avoid over saturation in the market and hurt other casinos. Race track officials have said they need slot machines at tracks to make them competitive with other states because the added revenue would fatten purses in races.
Quinn said it's important that lawmakers pass a good gambling expansion bill, unlike the one they signed off on in May that he says has major flaws.
"We're not going to do it wrong the first time, we're going to do it right the first time and the only time," he said.
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