Thus far, the state of Illinois has not stepped up and asserted itself as the legal gaming industry juggernaut that it potentially could be. One game-changer could or would be a centralized casino in Chicago, but if you’ve been following the news online lately, then you already know that’s not coming any time soon.

When then Mayor Rahm Emanuel facilitated the sweetheart deal that handed over gobs of taxpayer money to DePaul University and their long sputtering men’s basketball program for their new home, WinTrust Arena, many believed that the venue would host entertainment acts, for a new casino to be built in the adjacent McCormick Place Convention Center.

Well, so much for that.  But maybe the Land of Lincoln’s wagering industry generating financial windfall will be found in cyberspace, not a brick-and-mortar. Perhaps online poker in Illinois will be the bellwether betting market for the prairie state. While there are currently ten casinos within the state’s borders, we still have some rather severe anti-gambling statutes on the books here.

The state introduced online poker legislation in March of 2021 as part of the Internet Gaming Act, a much larger and more comprehensive online gambling bill that would legalize other casino games as well. The session ended on June 1 without a resolution, although there seems to be good political will towards getting this done. The bicameral Illinois General Assembly reconvenes for a short time this fall, and there is optimism that this October could see HB 3142 passed, and then over to the desk of Governor J.B. Pritzker for his signature.

While this wouldn’t be an overnight solution by any stretch, it figures to be a provide a really nice fiscal boon to the state’s coffers.

According to the synopsis on the state government’s official page the will would provide “that a 12% privilege tax is imposed on Internet gaming to be deposited into the State Gaming Fund.” Given how Illinois, like every other state in the union, had to shut down their economies, at least partially, for prolonged periods of time due to the pandemic, one would imagine that adding another taxable income source to the budget would be welcomed warmly.

The bill itself doesn’t really face any strong resistance. The issue is not with the neys, it’s with the fence-sitters and non-voters, and trying to get them over to the yey grouping.

The Internet Gaming Act includes provisions for age verification, location of wagering, responsible gaming initiatives, diversity goals, and gaming licensees, among other considerations and applications. In other words, it covers a lot of ground.

Given all the losses that many have suffered in the stock market in this state, lately, this certainly seems like a welcome recourse for “investing.” Or at least, raising the stakes and anteing up again.

Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the  Chicago Tribune.

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