Kane County is putting its cards on the table Tuesday, set to sign off on a resolution opposing Chicago casino expansion.

On the consent agenda for the 9:45 a.m. County Board meeting is a resolution that opposes Senate Bill 1739, aka the Chicago Casino Gambling Expansion Bill. According to the resolution, the bill would “risk as much as $900 million in borrowing to construct the Chicago casino at a time when finances are low and the backlog of bills owed and deficits are high.”

The bill also would “license and regulate Internet gaming within the state of Illinois,” according to the JD Supra Business Advisor website.

You can read the full text of the Senate Bill here.

Kane County’s draft resolution opposes Senate Bill 1739  because it “creates a bureaucracy called the Chicago Casino Development Authority that will have unfettered rights to use eminent domain, condemnation, and unlimited bonding powers to the detriment of local governments, business, and resident taxpayers.”

The Daily Herald reports that the bill has two possible versions: one that would create a “mega casino” in Chicago, another that would allow construction of five new casinos in the state.

Kane County also is against the bill because at least three of those casinos will “compete for customers with the already long established Hollywood Casino in Aurora and/or Grand Victoria Casino in Elgin.”

The resolution urges local elected state representatives and senators to oppose Senate Bill 1739 and “ensure that this bill, and bills similar to it, do not pass in order to protect our shared constituents.”

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and other legislators are “pushing hard” for a Chicago Casino, according to an article in the Huffington Post.

Editor’s Note: Funding for Kane County Connects and the community outreach initiative is funded by a Riverboat Fund grant.

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