Illinois Gambling Guide

Illinois casinos

Illinois is one of 13 American states that allow casino gambling. Casinos are only permitted on riverboats and there are currently nine floating casinos in Illinois (Alton, East Peoria, Rock Island, Joliet Empress, Metropolis, Joliet Harrah's, Aurora, E St Louis and Elgin).

There were 1.35 million visits to Illinois' casinos in December 2006 and players lost an average of US$122 per visit.

The state's gambling is regulated by the Illinois Gaming Board, who licence casinos and also control which companies are allowed to supply casinos.

Illinois lottery

In January 2007 the state of Illinois started discussions with financiers to sell the state lottery for around US$10 billion. The proposal was that in return for a one-off payment a buyer would receive revenues from the state lottery for the next 75 years. It would be the first time a US state lottery has been privatised. Goldman Sachs and UBS were among the advisers to the state of Illinois on the proposed deal.

Critics argued that the move deprived future residents of a consistent income stream and because such a sale had not been previously undertaken it was difficult to gauge a suitable price. It was also argued that state control of the lotteries ensured that advertising of the lottery was restrained and that a private operator would be far more aggressive in their operations.