Illinois Senate rejected gambling expansion

The Illinois Senate rejected gambling expansion as the week ended that would have put casinos in Park City, Rockford and Chicago, reports the Chicago Tribune.

The expansion would have also allowed slot machines at Illinois racetracks and let the riverboats move inland and become land-based casinos.

But the rejection was a close-run thing at 28 for and 28 against, and because approval requires 30 votes in the 59 seat Senate it did not pass. However, sponsor Terry Link preserved his proposal for a possible second vote by using a procedural technicality to wipe out the roll call.

Link said the added gambling would generate nearly $100 million in the first year for the state and $500 million annually once established.

Senate President John Cullerton, a strong sponsor too, tried to persuade fellow Senators to support the bill. "In a year like this when we need money and no one wants to vote for a tax increase, everybody says, 'what about gaming?" he said. "We need to consider this as an alternative."

Critics said it was simply too much gambling to stomach the day after lawmakers sent a video gambling at bars plan to the governor to help finance road construction.

State Senator Kirk Dillard said the expanded gambling proposal would have made Illinois a bigger gambling state than Nevada or New Jersey, and he was joined by Chicago Senator James Meeks who protested: "It is too much! It is time to stop. We are allowing our state to go down the tube. Video poker. Gaming. Enough is enough!"

Cryptologic 14 top games to be provided to Loto-Quebec - 02/08/2012 : The companies have signed a multi-year agreement that will see Cryptologic providing a portfolio of quality games to the Societe du jeu virtuel du Quebec, the online gaming division of the provincial state lottery corporation Loto-Quebec, known as Espacejeux.

Utah : Online Gambling : HB108 - 02/08/2012 : An intrastate attempt by Utah politician Stephen Sandstrom to introduce state legislation banning any legalisation of internet gambling has failed at the start gate.

MORE U.S. DISCUSSION ON INTERNET GAMBLING DUE THIS WEEK - 02/08/2012 : Interest in online gambling in the United States is set to continue on Thursday this week when the US Senate Committee on Indian Affairs meets to hear the views of a wide cross section of interested parties on the possible impact of legalised internet gambling on tribal gaming.

Judge wont dismiss DoJ Black Friday charges - 02/08/2012 : Former Utah banker John Campos and e-processor Chad Elie, who face charges relating to the payment processing of online poker transactions, suffered a setback Tuesday when a Manhattan judge refused to allow their motion for dismissal of Black Friday indictments against them.

ANOTHER MAJOR INTERNET GAMBLING BUST IN MALAYSIA - 02/08/2012 : Police units in Malaysia raided a series of premises in a week long anti-online gambling operation, seizing 225 computers and detaining 47 men, according to reports from the Bernama news agency. All of the detained men were later released on bail.