Illinois Rejects Proposal For 24-Hour Casinos

There was some bad news on Thursday for the gaming industry in Illinois.

Gaming regulators there have rejected a proposal by the state’s riverboat casinos requesting that they be allowed to stay open 24 hours, the Chicago Tribune reported.

The 10 casinos in Illinois will have to continue operating at most 22 hours a day.

The issue reportedly has come up numerous times in the past, and regulators have always rejected it. The latest effort was led by the Illinois Casino Gaming Association, which represents six of the state’s 10 casinos. Illinois legalized such facilities in 1990.

“With the video gaming that’s going on now, for example truck stops are allowed to stay open 24 hours a day,” Tom Swoik, a representative for a handful of Illinois’ 10 riverboats, told WNIJ this fall. “So people can play video gaming at truck stops 24 hours a day, why not at the casinos?”

Supporters of the plan want the state to keep pace with other states that are nearby and allow their respective gamblers to play 24/7. Competition is fierce for tax revenue.

Opponents to the idea cite increases in gambling addiction.

There have been efforts recently to put a land-based Las Vegas-style casino in Chicago, but that hasn’t ever come to fruition.

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