Keep gambling out of Chicago

Keep casino gambling out of Chicago's city limits

Forces are again at work to bring a casino to Chicago with 4,000 gambling positions and three other locations for 3,600 positions. Wait, there is more: the proposed bill would allow 6,300 gambling machines at Illinois' six horse tracks. And there is even more: 800 more gambling positions at existing and new casinos for a total of 10,400 more gambling positions. Finally, the state, in the midst of a budget emergency, would allocate money to county fairs to conduct wagering on horse racing, and all riverboats may become land-based casinos.

Wow, that's a lot of gambling. Considering the gambling public lost on average $102 per person in October, that's a lot of money lost to the gambling bosses. Money that was lost from college funds, mortgage or rent payments and food for the family funds.

These gambling efforts are led by a former legislator who is now a lobbyist. But the gamblers also are trying to reinvent the norms of society to accommodate more gambling in an oversaturated market.

Chicago has consistently made it known through public opinion mechanisms it does not want casinos in the city. At the same time, gambling interests want to legalize more than 15,000 video poker machines in the city.

Let's hope that cooler heads will prevail. Chicago is a fine world-class city without gambling in our city limits.

Let's keep it that way and work to support our fine sports teams, putting kids through school instead of worrying about "the man" collecting his winnings.

Doug Dobmeyer, spokesman,
Task Force to Oppose
Gambling in Chicago