The Illinois Church Action on Alcohol & Addiction Problems sent out the following press release today encouraging opposition to another Illinois casino – this one in north central DeKalb County.
OPPOSE HR 504, ILCAAAP says, despite sponsorship by House members of both major parties, and sponsored by Republican state Rep. Tom Demmer (R-Dixon).
"The measure expresses support for the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation's efforts to regain possession of the Shab-eh-nay Reservation that was illegally sold by the federal government in 1849. The bill paves the way for a Native American Casino to be built in Shabbona, Illinois."
A prime concern must be the crime and moral decline that often accompanies casinos. Gaming chips away at the innocence and morals of society and is the antithesis to the notion that fiscal responsibility and embracing a clean, healthy environment are good national characteristics.
Casinos are crime magnets with two types of illegal activity: Internal corruption that includes money laundering, loan sharking and mob influence, and street crime. It is the increase in crime directly spilling from casino doors that have the most immediate effect on surrounding communities. For nearby neighborhoods, these include DUI-related accidents, home robberies, and mail theft. If a precedent is set that Indian casinos are no longer restricted to reservation lands, negatives will impact neighboring areas like never before.
According to a 2012 study of casino crime by University of Maryland researchers, there is a 10 percent increase in substance abuse, suicide, violent crime, theft, and bankruptcy when a new casino opens in town. Other studies found 8 – 9 percent of crime increases at a cost near $70 per year for every person living nearby. After Atlantic City’s rapid casino growth in the 1980s, crime increased by 100 percent in a 30-mile radius surrounding the area. Read
HR 504 passed however some interesting facts
1) In 2003, an idea for being talked about with local officials in Shabbona, Il and State Officials about a $715 million dollar casino and retreat center in Dekalb County.
2) Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Tribe already operates a casino with Harrah’s in Mayetta, Kansas.
3) In 2006, Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Tribe purchased 128 acres just outside of Shabbona, IL
4) In an August 16, 2016, Daily Chronicle article Prairie Band quotes spokeswoman Tracy Stanoff. “Potawatomi Nation Tribal Chairwoman Tracy Stanhoff also acknowledged that while a “Las Vegas-style” casino on the land is not one of the options being considered, a bingo parlor is” While bingo might sound harmless, the tribes offer high-stakes bingo and electronic gambling devices that look and play like slot machines. The National Indian Gaming Commission has ruled that these machines are a version of bingo. “That distinction means American Indian tribes can offer the slotlike machines to the public without state consent or oversight.”
Thank you,
Shane Hartman
Executive Director of ILCAAAP
You can’t just keep building all these casinos. The one they want to build in Homewood is going to be a disaster I’ll still drive to Hard Rock in Indiana where I can smoke.
This is a re-hash of the “Shabbona casino” attempt from about 15 years ago.
Here’s an alternative location for it:
Put in the old Green River Arsenal site, half-way between Shabbona and Rock Falls on U.S.30.
That property has been in limbo for 70 years, and is far enough away from civilization that drunks and gun fights between casino losers would be less likely to affect innocent by-standers.
By the way: “Shabbona” is pronounced “SHA-bone-ah”
not “Sha-BONE-ahh,” by the Chicago TV news and radio announcers, who are too lazy to call the locals to learn how it’s supposed to be pronounced.
Why do all of these casinos have to be run owned by Indians? Plus can we get some real Indians please not some White guy claiming to be part something like Elizabeth Warren?
Reading the “proposed plan” for the Indian gambling den reminds me of the “Riverboat Casino” scam: Like the camel’s nose under the tent, more and more comes in and soon the entire camel is inside, as is it’s smell.
First the boats had to be on “navigable” rivers. Then, Aurora and Elgin built boats on the Fox river, where dams prevented much navigation.
Then, the boats were allowed to be permanently docked.
Then, the “docks” became the casinos and the boats were gone.
Chicago wasn’t supposed to have a casino, now it wants one (and is almost guaranteed to get it.)
Does anyone really believe this casino scheme will end up being any different?