http://www.chicagotribune.com/subur...ois-supreme-court-gambling-st-0517-story.html
<header class="trb_ar_h" style="padding-top: 30px; border-top-style: none;">[h=1]Selle: The point spread narrows for Illinois sportsbooks[/h]
</header><aside class="trb_em trb_embed" data-content-id="99228731" data-content-size="leadart" data-content-type="image" data-content-slug="ct-1526486854-byrvk7hz3e-snap-image" data-content-subtype="photo" data-role="sc_item imgsize_ratiosizecontainer" data-state="" style="position: relative; width: 375px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden;"><figure data-role="imgsize_item" class="trb_em_ic_figure" style="margin: 0px; width: calc(100% + 1px); position: relative; padding-bottom: 210.9375px; background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); overflow: hidden; height: 0px;"><img itemprop="image" data-baseurl="http://www.trbimg.com/img-5afc574a/turbine/ct-1526486854-byrvk7hz3e-snap-image" alt="Sportsbook" class="trb_em_ic_img" title="Sportsbook" data-c-nd="1024x576" data-role="imgsize_srcsetdisplayitem" srcset="http://www.trbimg.com/img-5afc574a/turbine/ct-1526486854-byrvk7hz3e-snap-image/350/350x197 350w, http://www.trbimg.com/img-5afc574a/turbine/ct-1526486854-byrvk7hz3e-snap-image/400/400x225 400w, http://www.trbimg.com/img-5afc574a/turbine/ct-1526486854-byrvk7hz3e-snap-image/450/450x253 450w, http://www.trbimg.com/img-5afc574a/turbine/ct-1526486854-byrvk7hz3e-snap-image/500/500x281 500w, http://www.trbimg.com/img-5afc574a/turbine/ct-1526486854-byrvk7hz3e-snap-image/550/550x309 550w, http://www.trbimg.com/img-5afc574a/turbine/ct-1526486854-byrvk7hz3e-snap-image/600/600x338 600w, http://www.trbimg.com/img-5afc574a/turbine/ct-1526486854-byrvk7hz3e-snap-image/650/650x366 650w, http://www.trbimg.com/img-5afc574a/turbine/ct-1526486854-byrvk7hz3e-snap-image/700/700x394 700w, http://www.trbimg.com/img-5afc574a/turbine/ct-1526486854-byrvk7hz3e-snap-image/750/750x422 750w, http://www.trbimg.com/img-5afc574a/turbine/ct-1526486854-byrvk7hz3e-snap-image/800/800x450 800w, http://www.trbimg.com/img-5afc574a/turbine/ct-1526486854-byrvk7hz3e-snap-image/850/850x478 850w, http://www.trbimg.com/img-5afc574a/turbine/ct-1526486854-byrvk7hz3e-snap-image/900/900x506 900w, http://www.trbimg.com/img-5afc574a/turbine/ct-1526486854-byrvk7hz3e-snap-image/950/950x534 950w, http://www.trbimg.com/img-5afc574a/turbine/ct-1526486854-byrvk7hz3e-snap-image/1000/1000x563 1000w, http://www.trbimg.com/img-5afc574a/turbine/ct-1526486854-byrvk7hz3e-snap-image/1024/1024x576 1024w" sizes="(min-width: 1260px) 750px, (min-width: 1060px) calc(100vw - 559px), (min-width: 840px) calc(100vw - 419px), (min-width: 800px) 800px, 100.1vw" style="border: none; margin: auto !important; width: auto !important; max-width: 100.69999694824219%; max-height: 100.69999694824219%; position: absolute; top: 0px; right: 0px; bottom: 0px; left: 0px; padding: 0px !important;"></figure>People sit in a sportsbook venue in Las Vegas. Similar facilities might be on their way to Illinois after the U.S. Supreme Court gave its go-ahead this week for states to allow gambling on sports across the nation. (John Locher / AP)
</aside>
Charles Selle
Our spendthrift lawmakers already are counting the take from the latest moneymaking scheme to bail out the once-great State of Illinois. Their cerebral cortex calculators see nothing but greenbacks rolling in from sports gambling.
Given the green light this week by the U.S. Supreme Court, legislation legalizing wire rooms in the Land of Lincoln surely is being horse-traded in Springfield as this is being written. The only question is if bills can be adopted prior to the end of the legislative session May 31 so Illinois can begin dipping into the sportsbook pool.
Meanwhile, a parcel at Waukegan’s Fountain Squire, once reserved for a land-based casino, waits forlornly on legislators for its promised gaming edifice. Waukegan officials are questioning if they really want a casino in the city’s future, despite the vision of millions and millions of dollars in revenue.
With the legalization and taxation of marijuana, video gaming, expanding the number of casinos, allowing fantasy league sports betting, installing slot machines at the state’s dwindling number of horseracing tracks and now legal sportsbooks, Illinois should be flush with revenue in coming years. Even after paying down all the billions we owe and bankrolling public employee pensions, the state should be spewing black ink instead of currently swimming in the red stuff.
Certainly, our elected officials will find a way to blow this new wad of cash, as they have done with stiff tax increases on Illinois individuals and businesses, the take from lottery games, riverboat casinos, off-track betting facilities, higher license plate costs, steep gasoline levies, and add-on sin and service fees. If only we could bet on the actions of our public servants, we’d all be in the high life.
The story in Tuesday’s News-Sun detailing plans for sportsbooks in Illinois noted one proposal being touted would have casinos participating in betting on professional and collegiate athletic contests shelling out a $10,000 “licensing fee.” On top of that, bets would be taxed at 12.5 percent and another 1 percent “integrity fee” — used to ensure the wagering action does not affect the honesty of sporting events — would be tacked on. One conservative estimate is a state take of more than $150 million annually.<iframe class="teads-resize" style="width: 335px; height: 0px !important; min-height: 0px !important; border-style: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; display: block !important;"></iframe>
Ask your local bookie about his “integrity” fee. And, will bookies be eligible for unemployment compensation if their underground economy jobs are eliminated because of legalized sportsbooks? It’s just something else for lawmakers to consider as the issue gets a full hearing.
There’s also nothing in the sportsbook proposals to make sure losing bettors won’t get their legs broken or faces rearranged if they fail to miss a risky over/under wager or are behind in their vigorish. Perhaps it’s implied in the fine print.
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<header class="trb_ar_h" style="padding-top: 30px; border-top-style: none;">[h=1]Selle: The point spread narrows for Illinois sportsbooks[/h]
</header><aside class="trb_em trb_embed" data-content-id="99228731" data-content-size="leadart" data-content-type="image" data-content-slug="ct-1526486854-byrvk7hz3e-snap-image" data-content-subtype="photo" data-role="sc_item imgsize_ratiosizecontainer" data-state="" style="position: relative; width: 375px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden;"><figure data-role="imgsize_item" class="trb_em_ic_figure" style="margin: 0px; width: calc(100% + 1px); position: relative; padding-bottom: 210.9375px; background-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); overflow: hidden; height: 0px;"><img itemprop="image" data-baseurl="http://www.trbimg.com/img-5afc574a/turbine/ct-1526486854-byrvk7hz3e-snap-image" alt="Sportsbook" class="trb_em_ic_img" title="Sportsbook" data-c-nd="1024x576" data-role="imgsize_srcsetdisplayitem" srcset="http://www.trbimg.com/img-5afc574a/turbine/ct-1526486854-byrvk7hz3e-snap-image/350/350x197 350w, http://www.trbimg.com/img-5afc574a/turbine/ct-1526486854-byrvk7hz3e-snap-image/400/400x225 400w, http://www.trbimg.com/img-5afc574a/turbine/ct-1526486854-byrvk7hz3e-snap-image/450/450x253 450w, http://www.trbimg.com/img-5afc574a/turbine/ct-1526486854-byrvk7hz3e-snap-image/500/500x281 500w, http://www.trbimg.com/img-5afc574a/turbine/ct-1526486854-byrvk7hz3e-snap-image/550/550x309 550w, http://www.trbimg.com/img-5afc574a/turbine/ct-1526486854-byrvk7hz3e-snap-image/600/600x338 600w, http://www.trbimg.com/img-5afc574a/turbine/ct-1526486854-byrvk7hz3e-snap-image/650/650x366 650w, http://www.trbimg.com/img-5afc574a/turbine/ct-1526486854-byrvk7hz3e-snap-image/700/700x394 700w, http://www.trbimg.com/img-5afc574a/turbine/ct-1526486854-byrvk7hz3e-snap-image/750/750x422 750w, http://www.trbimg.com/img-5afc574a/turbine/ct-1526486854-byrvk7hz3e-snap-image/800/800x450 800w, http://www.trbimg.com/img-5afc574a/turbine/ct-1526486854-byrvk7hz3e-snap-image/850/850x478 850w, http://www.trbimg.com/img-5afc574a/turbine/ct-1526486854-byrvk7hz3e-snap-image/900/900x506 900w, http://www.trbimg.com/img-5afc574a/turbine/ct-1526486854-byrvk7hz3e-snap-image/950/950x534 950w, http://www.trbimg.com/img-5afc574a/turbine/ct-1526486854-byrvk7hz3e-snap-image/1000/1000x563 1000w, http://www.trbimg.com/img-5afc574a/turbine/ct-1526486854-byrvk7hz3e-snap-image/1024/1024x576 1024w" sizes="(min-width: 1260px) 750px, (min-width: 1060px) calc(100vw - 559px), (min-width: 840px) calc(100vw - 419px), (min-width: 800px) 800px, 100.1vw" style="border: none; margin: auto !important; width: auto !important; max-width: 100.69999694824219%; max-height: 100.69999694824219%; position: absolute; top: 0px; right: 0px; bottom: 0px; left: 0px; padding: 0px !important;"></figure>People sit in a sportsbook venue in Las Vegas. Similar facilities might be on their way to Illinois after the U.S. Supreme Court gave its go-ahead this week for states to allow gambling on sports across the nation. (John Locher / AP)
</aside>
Charles Selle
Our spendthrift lawmakers already are counting the take from the latest moneymaking scheme to bail out the once-great State of Illinois. Their cerebral cortex calculators see nothing but greenbacks rolling in from sports gambling.
Given the green light this week by the U.S. Supreme Court, legislation legalizing wire rooms in the Land of Lincoln surely is being horse-traded in Springfield as this is being written. The only question is if bills can be adopted prior to the end of the legislative session May 31 so Illinois can begin dipping into the sportsbook pool.
Meanwhile, a parcel at Waukegan’s Fountain Squire, once reserved for a land-based casino, waits forlornly on legislators for its promised gaming edifice. Waukegan officials are questioning if they really want a casino in the city’s future, despite the vision of millions and millions of dollars in revenue.
With the legalization and taxation of marijuana, video gaming, expanding the number of casinos, allowing fantasy league sports betting, installing slot machines at the state’s dwindling number of horseracing tracks and now legal sportsbooks, Illinois should be flush with revenue in coming years. Even after paying down all the billions we owe and bankrolling public employee pensions, the state should be spewing black ink instead of currently swimming in the red stuff.
Certainly, our elected officials will find a way to blow this new wad of cash, as they have done with stiff tax increases on Illinois individuals and businesses, the take from lottery games, riverboat casinos, off-track betting facilities, higher license plate costs, steep gasoline levies, and add-on sin and service fees. If only we could bet on the actions of our public servants, we’d all be in the high life.
The story in Tuesday’s News-Sun detailing plans for sportsbooks in Illinois noted one proposal being touted would have casinos participating in betting on professional and collegiate athletic contests shelling out a $10,000 “licensing fee.” On top of that, bets would be taxed at 12.5 percent and another 1 percent “integrity fee” — used to ensure the wagering action does not affect the honesty of sporting events — would be tacked on. One conservative estimate is a state take of more than $150 million annually.<iframe class="teads-resize" style="width: 335px; height: 0px !important; min-height: 0px !important; border-style: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; display: block !important;"></iframe>
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<iframe scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="display: block; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 335px !important; height: 189px !important; border-width: 0px !important; overflow: hidden !important; float: none !important; max-height: 189px !important;"></iframe>Ask your local bookie about his “integrity” fee. And, will bookies be eligible for unemployment compensation if their underground economy jobs are eliminated because of legalized sportsbooks? It’s just something else for lawmakers to consider as the issue gets a full hearing.
There’s also nothing in the sportsbook proposals to make sure losing bettors won’t get their legs broken or faces rearranged if they fail to miss a risky over/under wager or are behind in their vigorish. Perhaps it’s implied in the fine print.
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