Did we get dealt another bad hand?
The decision Monday by the Illinois Gaming Board to grant Des Plaines the last authorized casino license seems like a rush to judgment that neither meets the mission of the law that created Illinois casinos nor preserves the financial viability of gambling operations nearby.
After literally years and years of legal wrangling about an earlier vote to grant the last license to Rosemont and lingering questions about mob connections to the Rosemont firm that ultimately doomed that bid, we expected a more thoughtful, transparent and careful decision.
When state officials first authorized casinos, the clear and repeated intent was to site them in economically depressed communities that could benefit from the income they would generate. Rosemont does not fit that definition. Neither does Des Plaines when compared to Waukegan, the third finalist in this contest. The other communities that had bidders that were quickly rejected -- Calumet City, Stickney, Harvey and Country Club Hills -- all meet that top criterion better than Des Plaines.
We wonder whether the Waukegan location likely would have drawn more gamblers and dollars from out of state than a Rosemont or Des Plaines casino would. Sure, Des Plaines will draw out-of-state visitors from O'Hare International Airport, but at who's expense?
It seems clear a Des Plaines casino is going to take revenue away from Arlington Park racetrack, the Aurora casino and from the Grand Victoria Casino in Elgin, the state's biggest revenue generator.
Elgin Mayor Ed Schock believes a casino this close to Elgin's could take another 25 percent from one that already has lost about that amount in a bad economy this year. "I don't see how they feel that's going to generate more money for the state of Illinois," he said.
Neither do we. Will this casino put the others and the track nearby out of business?
Adding to our frustration is the lack of openness and explanation we've all gotten as gaming board members sped through this process.
The board is, in effect, handing out get-rich-quick cards to the winners, making a call that will generate millions for Illinoisans at a time when it's desperately needed. That means the decision should take more time and be more transparent, not less.
The license application deadline was a bit more than two months ago. In a month's time, seven applicants were whittled to three. Another month passed, and last week, the board first indicated it was ready to name a winner. Suspiciously, board members said last Tuesday they needed a bit more time to conduct research. On Friday, we learned Des Plaines officials met in closed session and secretly upped their ante. They improved the amount they said that casino would give to the state and the amount they said would go to disadvantaged communities. Lo and behold, on Monday, the gaming board voted to give the license to Des Plaines.
It sure looks like the deck was stacked.
Is it time for yet another investigation of our state government?