Massachusetts redux?

Negotiated behind closed doors? Tweaking to please opponents? Overstating revenues? Overstating low wage jobs? Ignoring 'social costs'?


Anti-gambling group wants to scrap expansion bill
By: Alex Degman

SPRINGFIELD – Proponents of a major Illinois gambling expansion bill are tweaking it to try “pleasing everyone,” but anti-gambling groups aren’t satisfied.

Little is known about the changes, other than they’ll likely be introduced in a few weeks during the fall Veto Session. State Sen. Terry Link (D-Waukegan) says he wants to finalize the changes and discuss them with colleagues before making them public.

Anita Bedell, executive director of the Illinois Church Action on Alcohol and Addiction problems, says gambling revenues are deceptive, and is against any expansion – even with changes.

“They’re looking at revenue, and they inflate the figures, but they never consider the cost,” she says. “This is something that, with people in the economy the way it is, this is absolutely the wrong way for legislators to go with our state.”

Proponents say new gambling positions will create good-paying jobs and pad state coffers, but Bedell says some of that will be offset by social service costs for more gambling addicts.