HR0768 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0768 LRB099 14345 GRL 38433 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The Illinois General Assembly has approved legal video gaming to help generate economic activity for local established businesses, to create jobs, to reduce illegal gaming activity, and to provide much-needed revenue to local communities and the State budget; and

WHEREAS, Video gaming has produced strong growth since its inception in September of 2012 in local economic activity, in jobs created and supported, and in tax revenue for local and State governments; and

WHEREAS, The General Assembly has worked closely with the Illinois Gaming Board, the State's regulatory body for gaming issues, to ensure careful scrutiny and oversight of approval and operations of the nearly 5,000 video gaming businesses and more than 20,000 video gaming machines in Illinois; and

WHEREAS, A proposed new form of video gaming business is generating concern around Illinois, both with policymakers in Springfield and within the video gaming industry; and

WHEREAS, News reports have detailed developers' interest in creating "casino malls" in Chicago suburbs where strip malls could be converted to have multiple storefronts with neighboring video gaming establishments packaged together; and

WHEREAS, While proponents argue these "casino malls" could generate more economic activity and revenue, there are legitimate concerns about these malls shifting video gaming away from its intended purpose of main street community entertainment for bars, restaurants, and other local businesses; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois General Assembly did not envision allowing these types of malls in legalizing video gaming originally and is not interested in seeing this type of activity authorized in Illinois; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge the Illinois Gaming Board to issue a report to the General Assembly stating the reasons that the Board refuses to grant video gaming licenses to "casino malls"; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be delivered to the Chairman of the Illinois Gaming Board.