Gambling Expansion Under Consideration Again

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The Illinois Senate’s Gaming Committee is taking testimony today on a plan for a massive expansion of gambling as one part of a budget compromise.  The bill would permit casinos in Chicago and five other locations and would allow slot machines at the state’s remaining horse-racing tracks.  The licensing fees would help pay the state’s backlog of bills and fund education, while the Chicago casino’s profits would prop up the city’s police and fire pensions.