Madigan proposes overhaul of state gambling board

Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan unveiled a proposal today for a completely new state gambling regulation board, possibly signaling willingness to deal on adding more than just a Chicago casino.

Madigan's spokesman, Steve Brown, briefed reporters on the proposal before the speaker's 1 p.m. press conference.

Brown said the proposal to reconstitute the board was not a criticism of the current board, but was just "something we think is important if these mega-expansion ideas go forward."

Among the gambling expansions being contemplated are a Chicago casino with up to 4,000 positions, a casino for the south suburbs, and slot machines at race tracks.

Madigan supports a Chicago casino, but state Senate President Emil Jones wants a casino for the south suburbs as part of any deal.

Last week, Madigan dodged a question on whether he could support a second casino. Monday, Brown said a new board would be needed if significant expansion being talked about became a reality.

The facility expansions the board could hypothetically cover would be a Chicago casino, racetrack slots "plus one or two more (casino) licenses, for example," said Brown.

The new board would be funded by casinos, and would set its own budget to ensure it had adequate staffing. The current board has long complained of inadequate staffing and funding. The funds from the casinos to run the board would likely be on top of any tax revenues the state already enjoys from the casinos, Brown said.

The proposal for a new gaming board may also be a signal of good faith to House Republicans that Madigan would deal with their request for a capital improvement bill funded by casinos after they approve a bill to provide for mass transit funding in the Chicago area.

Madigan has said the mass transit bill must come before any capital bill, but Republican House leader Tom Cross wants the two linked.

The new board would regulate all casinos in Illinois, including any placed in Chicago, Brown said. Mayor Richard M. Daley had sought his own oversight board of a Chicago casino. This would not preclude that board, but the city board would not replace state oversight, Brown said.

Brown said legislation moving the proposal ahead might be ready as soon as Thursday.