Gambling Supporters Urge Chicago City Council To Overturn Ban

The Chicago City Council thought they had put the video gambling issue to rest last year when they banned the machines. That came after state lawmakers carved out a law that would allow the machines in the state.

Now, supporters of expanded gambling are urging the Council to reconsider their position and overturn the ban. The Council has agreed to at least listen to the groups pleas, and on Monday, a hearing was held on the video gambling ban.

As is the case with any gambling issue, there was a mixture of supporters and opponents. The supporters want the machines to bring employment opportunities to Chicago residents. Opponents point to the possibility of gambling addiction and increased crime.

"We've got to get something moving so we can get people back to work," said Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce President Jerry Roper. The city has been dealing with a high unemployment rate, and the video gambling machines would help bring that number down.

State lawmakers had a fierce battle over whether or not to legalize the video gambling machines. In the end, the legislators decided that at the very least, they should offer the option to individual cities. Any town or city that did not ban the machines, would be allowed to offer the machines.

Illinois is one of the states where there was increased pressure to legalize more forms of gambling. The Casino explosion over the past several years in the Midwest has been well documented, and Illinois lawmakers were forced to keep up or risk losing revenue to neighboring states.

April 27, 2010
Posted By Tom Jones
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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