Illinois Expands Casinos, Now Wants to Legalize Internet Betting

The Illinois Senate last week approved the expansion of gambling from no casinos to twelve. In the next few weeks the House will consider the bill and the possibility that horse racing could also be added to the bill via predeposited accounts, or 'advanced deposit wagering', ie: Internet gambling for the ponies.

Marc Laino, who is Executive Director of the Illinois Racing Board, said, "Internet gaming is here, trying to stop it in Illinois will only limit the potential revenue for the state."

Opponents continue to say it is the ultimate in gambling expansion, often citing outdated studies and incorrect information regarding safeguards.

"It's click your mouse, lose your house, this is the very worst kind of gambling," said John Kindt, who is a professor of business and legal policy at the University of Illinois. Kindt is also an anti-gambling activist.

The House must decide on the Senate approved bill, and if approved, the revenue would be used for state construction projects.

While the UIGEA tries to prevent online gambling by restricting the flow of money to and from gambling sites, it does have an exception for horse racing. Although Illinois generally bans Internet Gambling, officials say there is no effective way for Illinois to prevent people in their state from gambling online at authorized Internet horse racing sites, saying that there are concerns that it would be a violation of interstate commerce to try.

Laino estimates that many millions of Illinois dollars that would otherwise be bet at Illinois tracks, would be lost to the state by consumers using out-of-state facilities

"It's in play in most of the country," said Laino. "We're one of the few racing jurisdictions that haven't authorized it. We're losing out."

September 27, 2007
Posted By Terry Goodwin
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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