This week’s casino news takes us around the United States for a trio of headlines. We’ll start in the state of Illinois, which has finally opened up to gaming and will be building a casino in Chicago soon:
Chicago To Get Casino After House Clears Budget, Gambling Measure
After an intense few days of discussions behind the scenes, the Illinois Senate has approved legalising sports betting, gambling expansion and funding for a nearly $45 billion capital construction plan. Under the new agreement, Chicago will finally receive the long-awaited casino that so many from the city and other local areas hoped that they would get. On top of that, lawmakers also cleared measures that will raise gas taxes, raise the price of cigarettes, increase the price of electric vehicle registration and add an additional tax on e-cigarettes in an effort to cover their extensive spending plan.
Gambling revenues are expected to exceed $700 million in the first year alone. Combined with the tax hikes in other areas, that’s what the city will put towards the construction plan, which is expected to go towards rebuilding infrastructure.
In terms of when sports betting will start and where the new casino will be, that’s still to be determined.
Nevada’s Decline In Gaming Win Extends To Fourth Straight Month
The state of Nevada can’t seem to stop the bleeding when it comes to gaming win. For the fourth straight month, Nevada’s gaming win declined slightly in April. According to the state Gaming Control Board, the bottom line maintained a flat level against the previous fiscal year. Gaming win, which is the total won by casinos against players for slot machines, table games as well as race and sports betting, was down 1.8 percent. The total cash amount for the month was still $936.5 million, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a worrying trend for the state.
Michael Lawton, who is a senior research analyst for the Control Board’s administration division, referred to non-baccarat table games as the main reason for the continued decline. At this point, the state isn’t worried about legalised betting elsewhere taking away from Las Vegas or the state. They feel this is just a small aberration and things are still rosy. But we’ll see if that pattern changes.
Bank Robber Apprehended By Police While Playing At The Plainridge Park Casino
Crime and casinos have gone hand-in-hand since the beginning of time. It’s therefore no surprise that police in Plainridge Park found their suspect hiding at one.
This past week, a bank robber was arrested while he playing inside the Plainridge Park Casino shortly after pulling off the heist. Police recognised his getaway car parked outside of the casino.
The bank robber, revealed to be 35-year-old Joseph Hickson of Walpole, was reportedly laundering money but he wasn’t doing a great job. He stole $2,200 from the bank, but had already lost a substantial portion of it by the time the police arrived.