Online casino measure could still advance at Illinois Statehouse | Interests

(The Center Square) – Proposals to expand gambling further to allow internet casinos may be stalling in Illinois with the end of spring legislative session approaching. But one legislator says anything is possible. 

Keith Hamilton with the Illinois State Bowling Proprietors Association said Illinois already expanded gambling to include sports betting at brick and mortar casinos that turned into mobile phone betting. If there’s more expansion to allow online casino gambling, Hamilton warned that will cannibalize important revenue for local establishments with video gaming terminals.

“They reinvest that into their establishments not only to pay employees, not only to keep prices down, but to build and improve their bowling centers, to improve their operations,” Hamilton told The Center Square.  

State Rep. Bob Rita, D-Blue Island, who helped foster in gambling expansion to include more casinos and more video gaming terminals throughout the state, said even with few days remaining in session, anything is possible.  

“This is the time of year where you start seeing different items that maybe didn’t have legs, potentially could,” Rita told The Center Square. 

There are efforts on both sides of the online casino issue to lobby legislators, he said.  

“We need to look at it very closely and see what causes and effects it actually has, not just looking at, well, we could raise money,” Rita said. 

Bill Brennan, owner of Arena Lanes in Oakland, Illinois, said they’ve been able to lobby to keep the bill from advancing in previous years, but he’s worried the state is always looking for more tax money. 

“So looking for any revenue streams that they can possibly get to try to balance its budget even if they do not understand … that they’re going to cannibalize a revenue stream that’s already been invested in by the private sector and the public sector as well,” Brennan told The Center Square. 

Legislators are scheduled to adjourn May 31.