Column: Chicago rushes to approve casino deal while south suburbs hit jackpot with trusted partner
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Chicago is in a hurry to approve a $1.7 billion casino deal. Chicago CFO testified that the city loses $1000 million per day in revenue without a functioning casino. Joliet has had a double casino payday for nearly three decades. In northwest Indiana, officials in Gary and Lake County have reacted to recent developments in Chicago. The first casino in Illinois opened May 4, 1993. It was called the Empress. Now it's owned by Hollywood Casino. They also own the naming rights to Tinley Park’s outdoor amphitheater. In Gary, the officials reacted by delaying the casino approval.
Wind Creek casino was chosen over other projects. Joliet approved a deal to build a racetrack in the late 1990s. It opened in 2001. Chicago should slow down its casino approval process. Long-term community partnerships are more valuable than short-lived bumps in tax revenue.
Ted Slowik is a columnist at the Daily Southtown.
