Casino Expansion
New Casinos
Six (6) new casinos with one located in each of the following: City of Chicago; City of Danville; City of Waukegan; City of Rockford; one only between the townships of Bloom, Bremen, Calumet, Rich, Thornton, or Worth; and Williamson County.
- Other than the City of Chicago, which will require a Feasibility Study, applications are to be submitted to the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) within 120 days of SB690 becoming law with issuance to occur within 12 months of submittal.
- Gaming positions are capped at 2,000 for new casinos other than Chicago (4,000) and Williamson County (1,200).
- Temporary casinos are allowed for up to 24 months with 12-month extensions available subject to approval.
- O’Hare and Midway Airports may operate slot machines, beyond security check points, in association with the Chicago license.
- A host of taxes and fees will be levied in ranges more or less consistent with the historically assertive rates assessed in Illinois.
- Minority ownership and local approvals are required.
Existing Casinos
Current operators may move from waterways to land-based facilities and add up to 800 positions each, increasing the current limit of 1,200 positions to the new maximum of 2,000. Taxes and fees apply, and limited hold harmless criteria are available to existing properties to mitigate competition. Promotional fees can be deducted from Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) up to 20% before the assessment of taxes going forward. Get more information from the Illinois Gaming Board.
Pari-mutuel Racetracks
Each may operate slot machines and table games comprising up to 1,200 positions at racetracks located within Cook County (Arlington Park, Hawthorne and one new racetrack within the Cook County townships plus Orland), and 900 gaming positions at Fairmont Park and Quad City Downs. Other criteria related to the application process, temporary operations, and taxes and fees are similar to those applied at new casino locations.
VGTs
Each existing location may operate one additional device (for a total of six) and truck stops may operate up to ten. Minimum bets will be increased from $2 to $4 and payouts increased to a maximum of $1,200 from $500. Progressive jackpots will also be added. Taxes eventually will be increased to 34% from 30% today.
Sports Betting
Licenses may be issued for on-site sports wagering to any casino, racetrack (including up to three OTB’s), major sports facilities, three new online sports betting licensees, and at retail lottery locations on a provisional basis. Fees and taxes vary significantly by facility type.
New Applicant Changes
Significant criteria for new Illinois applicants is the requirement to put forth their best effort in reaching the state’s goal of a 25% minority ownership and a 5% women ownership. This bill mandates a diversity program for every licensee which includes annual reporting, and makes the required achievement in diversity inclusion a criteria for their license renewal. The focus of diversity includes vendor spend and employee engagement & advancement. Contact us for more information about Diversity Inclusion.