A funny thing happened on the way to state legislative approval for Chicago’s very own casino last week.
That’s what she’d be seeking in Springfield: a casino of, by, and for the people.
Mayor Lightfoot told the Sun-Times that a city-owned casino “wasn’t going to make its way through the General Assembly,” and that the “legislative process is about compromise.” And then the public discussion moved on to speculation about which of a half-dozen possible locations would be the chosen casino site, with the odds in favor of the old Michael Reese Hospital site in Bronzeville—never mind the objections of local residents.
Northeastern Illinois University economics professor Michael Wenz, who studies gambling as an economic development strategy, says that, compared to past Illinois casino deals, the city did well. “A third of AGR [adjusted gross revenue] is a good deal,” Wenz told me. “They can do that without having to worry about the costs, without having to worry about anything. And it’ll be wildly profitable.”
