Lawmaker Says End Gambling In The State of Illinois

[TheGeneral+]

week.com/morenews

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) A state lawmaker from southern Illinois says forget all the talk of expanding gambling to solve budget woes, it's time to sink riverboat casinos for good.

Democratic Representative John Bradley of Marion today proposed a measure that would shut down the state's nine operating casinos.

Bradley says casinos have done far more harm than good in Illinois. He says 80 percent of casino patrons are Illinoisans who lose more than one (b) billion dollars a year at the boats.

He contends that money would benefit the state and local economy if casinos were outlawed.

But Bradley acknowledges there will be stern opposition to his idea in the Legislature since casinos produced more than 700 (m) million dollars in state tax revenue last year.

A spokesman for the casino owners said Bradley's numbers are misleading and they will strongly oppose the measure.

 

[Fishhead]

I challenge this gentleman to a debate on national TV...........if he has the balls.

Geez, and I am not even from Illinois.

---FISH---

ps- I would bury him!!!

 

[blueedwards]

stupid democrats....

 

[WildBill]

I bet he figures some court would even rule the state could get away with this without paying a dime in compensation too right? Good luck with that idea.

 

[D2bets]

stupid democrats....

As if anti-gambling is a positioned reserved for Democrats. Hardly. This will never pass anyway, gambling lobby is strong and revenue is big. If anything, there's always talk of expansion.

 

[blueedwards]

As if anti-gambling is a positioned reserved for Democrats. Hardly. This will never pass anyway, gambling lobby is strong and revenue is big. If anything, there's always talk of expansion.

can't you see my tounge-in-cheek d2? i thought you knew me.

 

[Brock Landers]

This is laughable...lets also put all the casino workers out of a job, that will surely help people too LOL

 

[Illini]

What's funny is that he said the money that is now spent in casinos would be used in better places around the area. *******. It will only go to the airlines so people can go to Vegas, if they can't play there.

 

[D2bets]

can't you see my tounge-in-cheek d2? i thought you knew me.

I knew that, Blue. Just wanted to point out that stupd legislaation is a bi-partisan thing.

 

[Woody0]

Bradley says casinos have done far more harm than good in Illinois. He says 80 percent of casino patrons are Illinoisans who lose more than one (b) billion dollars a year at the boats.

He contends that money would benefit the state and local economy if casinos were outlawed.

But Bradley acknowledges there will be stern opposition to his idea in the Legislature since casinos produced more than 700 (m) million dollars in state tax revenue last year.

Let me get this straight. The clientel lose $1 billion, the state gets $700 million but the state and local economy would benefit from casino closure! How will that work? Residents will be forced to buy billions of $ of State lottery tickets?