SPRINGFIELD – The Springfield-based anti-gambling group Illinois Church Action on Alcohol and Addiction Problem sent out the following alert Friday morning about what taxpayers can expect during this year's final week of the scheduled General Assembly session:
Legislators will come back to Springfield Sunday afternoon and be in session on Memorial Day through May 31st. Please call your Legislators and ask others to call to oppose a massive expansion of gambling.
Sports gambling bill (HB 1260)
According to sports betting champion Representative Mike Zalewski (D-District 23), there is only one issue that needs to fall into place before sports betting can move forward – how to bridge the rift between fantasy sports giants DraftKingsand FanDuel and local operator Rush Street Gaming. Read more
Gov. Pritzker has gotten involved in controversial sports-betting legislation
He's asked FanDuel and DraftKings, the fantasy sports companies that hope to run online sportsbooks in Illinois, to pull a $1 million ad they just launched Thursday, Playbook has learned.
FanDuel, DraftKings abruptly pull TV spot in battle over legalized sports betting
The two daily fantasy sports companies, which are fighting for a chance to run online sportsbooks in Illinois, on Thursday launched what was planned to be a $1 million ad campaign targeting Rivers Casino in Des Plaines and its chairman, billionaire real estate and casino magnate Neil Bluhm. The spot went up on broadcast TV in Chicago and was to be rolled out on cable channels statewide as well as broadcast TV in the Springfield market. Instead, the ad is coming down Friday, a spokesman said.
"At the governor's request, the ad is being suspended for the time being while we engage in productive discussions to deliver smart sports betting legislation before the (spring legislative) session ends," Marc LaVorgna, a spokesman for Betonillinois.org, the FanDuel- and DraftKings-back group behind the ad, said in a statement. Read more
Chicago casino one of Mayor Lori Lightfoot's top legislative wish list
The city's new mayor said a casino was "a big priority" for her in the Democratic-controlled General Assembly's closing days and that she's had productive conversations about it. Read more
Lawmakers continue to craft gambling expansion plans as deadline looms
"The sports betting, the , people that want new casinos and the existing casinos," Rita said. "There are a lot of moving parts and so going slowly at this, I think, is the best approach so that we have what's right for the state."
