In the US, the Illinois State Governor Pat Quinn has vetoed a major gaming expansion bill that would have created five new full-scale casinos.
In addition to the new casinos – one of which would have been located in Chicago - SB1849 would also have allowed the state’s existing casinos to expand and its racetracks to offer slots.
However, the Chicago casino would have been allowed to operate without the oversight of the Illinois Gaming Board, which proved a sticking point for Governor Quinn. He also criticised the bill for failing to include a ban on political contributions from those with gaming interests.
The Governor has the authority to rewrite the bill and present it to lawmakers but he suggested that this was unlikely as it would require wholesale changes, rather than a “a technical change here or there.”
The State Assembly could also vote to overrule Quinn’s veto but, again, this looks unlikely.
