Senate Panel Approves Slot Machines

The Senate Tax Committee has approved a slot machine bill that would legalize them at horse tracks in the state of Illinois. It also includes one provision to help protect the future of the French Lick Casino, as they were concerned that with the addition of slot machines at horse tracks that they would suffer a large loss of revenue.

The new bill will have Anderson and Shelbyville’s tracks paying 1% additional subsidy to the new Orange County casino. Leaders in Orange County have been against the addition of slot machines to the state’s tracks because of the French Lick Casino, since it is still getting its footing in the industry. Casino advocates have said that by adding slot machines to the tracks that the amount of damage that could be seen by French Lick could be more than they could recover from.

The full Senate still has to have a look at the bill, and it could change, but if it passes then it would have to go back to the House for consideration. The House could then approve it as is and it go on to the governor for approval, or they could send it to a joint House-Senate conference committee where they would try to come to some sort of compromise. The original bill was approved by the House, but the Senate made the most recent changes.

Orange County has said that they know how wrong it seems for them to ask for slot machines not to be approved elsewhere in the state, but they know that since French Lick is still in its infancy stage, that any additional competition within the first five years could change the course for the casino. They say that they are still adding to the casino, and that since 25% of their patrons are from the Indianapolis area they can plan on losing most of that business to the tracks.


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