Rivers Casino in Des Plaines opens Monday. (Credit: CBS)
DES PLAINES, Ill. (CBS) — The newest Illinois casino helped to raise the state’s take from gambling for the first time since 2007.
As WBBM Newsradio’s Mike Krauser reports, the State of Illinois took in about $400 million in gambling receipts last year, up about $15 million in 2010.
LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Mike Krauser reports
The Rivers Casino, which opened with much fanfare in Des Plaines in July of last year, is getting the credit, the Daily Herald reports.
Since the Rivers Casino opened, its advertising has been ubiquitous, with a slightly modified version of “Get Down Tonight” by K.C. and the Sunshine Band appropriated as its theme song. And the publicity seems to be paying off – the Daily Herald says the casino has led the monthly revenue count since it opened, knocking the Grand Victoria in Elgin into second place.
Last month, the Rivers Casino brought in $33 million, the Grand Victoria $19 million, the Daily Herald reported.
Gambling expansion remains a hot – and unresolved – topic in Illinois. Last year, Gov. Pat Quinn threatened to veto passed by the Illinois General Assembly that would have licensed five new casinos – including the first within the Chicago city limits – as well as slot machines at racetracks, at O’Hare and Midway airports and at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. Ultimately, the bill was never sent to his desk.
For backers of gambling expansion, the new state revenues generated by the Rivers Casino serve as proof that even more gambling would be good for state coffers, the Daily Herald reported. But opponents argue that Rivers is just stealing gamblers from other casinos, the newspaper reported.
2 Comments
You mean Rivers is stealing from the players, their slots just don’t pay out like Elgin does !
January 12, 2012 at 3:00 am
Attendance will continue to plummet at Rivers simply because all the neighbor folk by now have been there for diner and a little gambling. All have lost and will never return.
The regular players have all been there several times now, most if not all have lost and will return to their previous boats such as Elgin. Once you loose 3-4 times in a row it leaves you with a bitter taste.
All players realize that loosing is part of playing, however when your just getting ripped off, you’ll simply go elsewhere.
Getting “ripped off” is when you attend a boat with say, 3-8 hundred dollars, and you’re in & out in an hour. You’re getting ripped! There is no sustainability for your money. 3 – 8 hundred dollars should keep you entertained for 2-3 hours at a casino, not at Rivers.
If you don’t win at the end of the evening (most, if not all will leave their money there), the machines should payout enough to at least sustain you for awhile -for a night out, not at Rivers….
Having been at Rivers about 8 times, various days of the week and time of day, walking around the floor about 4 times each time, and checking machines of other players, I can attest that Rivers just doesn’t payout! (won 18 g’s at Elgin last year).
Think of Rivers as a business for a moment. They are not going to give out their money, but money of other gamblers. They also have a huge nut to crack every month, paying off this expensive new facility, where other boats have been brought & paid for several times over. So come back in 8 years or so.
I think Rivers is counting on new middle class gambling addicts.
An addiction whether it be drugs or gambling will only occur when one has felt the pleasure of the vice and yearns for more. In drugs it’s an unbelievable high, in gambling it’s a huge win. No need to worry about this at Rivers.
Glad to see the IL. House shoot down the gambling bill this week, as the politicians have the math all wrong.
Revenue is not additive, but to be subtractive from a pool. A Chicago boat would be twice as bad to Gamers as Rivers…
The aforementioned is the express opinion of it’s author
January 12, 2012 at 3:05 am