Inclusion of online casinos in Illinois bill raising concerns

Illinois has been in the midst of debate over gambling for long and now, it is expanding each day. Previously, arguments were made on the fact that whether it was right to have casinos at the Arlington Park or not. Now, there are concerns over whether of-age individuals would be allowed to take a shot at online gambling.

If online gambling gets a go ahead in Illinois, it will give scope to play craps and blackjack right on the smartphone. It will allow people to play their favorite games, whenever or wherever they want to.

The main reason for bringing up this issue is to oppose the bill bought out by the Senate Democrats, with Senator Terry Link heading the way. With the bill, they are once again trying to put the slots at the Arlington Park. Again, it also has plans for having casinos in Chicago and several other cities in the state.

This time, the bill is also giving scope to online gambling. This bill is going to allow Illinois casinos to operate online casinos in addition to having the conventional operations in the state. The money, which will be generated out of online casinos from taxes, is going to go towards paying the massive pension debts of the state.

However, the striking point of the bill is that only players, who are over 21, will be allowed to play in sites operated out of the Illinois State. Again, the license is going to cost the owner upfront money of USD 20 million.

Supporters of the internet bill believe that people are already paying online, so why not regulate online casinos and get more tax revenue for taking care of the financial crisis in the state.

Matt Murphy, a Palatine Republican and state Senator, said, “The online part is now going to become the biggest part of the bill. However, I would like to see how other states fair, before Illinois jumping in it.”

Opposition, at this moment, has concern on the fact that once online gambling is regulated, it might give room for underage players to come in. Again, addiction is another thing, which has made this part of the bill debatable.

Tweet