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When talks about gambling begin, Las Vegas has always been in the spotlight. No wonder why big casinos pop up in this US city, attracting many gamblers, not just in the country but from around the world. So it’s never a question why it was even tagged as Sin city.
Yet today, as the gambling industry in the US has continued to grow, a number of states have already opened their doors for casinos and other types of gambling. That’s because of the profit and jobs it comes with.
One of the examples is the state of Illinois. Although the gambling laws of this state are somehow complex, it’s still considered legal. That’s probably why Chicago, a city in Illinois, has been experiencing rapid growth in its gambling industry. Chicago is now even going to be one of the gambling capitals in the US.
But what makes people think that? Here’s how gambling operates in Chicago:
Chicago’s gambling history
Chicago has a long history of gambling. In the 19th century, the city already had a thriving gambling industry. Chicago was still newly founded during that time and so gambling wasn’t regulated yet.
On the other hand, Riverboats had always been the popular places to gamble in the early years of Chicago casinos. That would help you understand why Chicago gambling and casinos revolved around these venues.
It was around the end of the 20th century that riverboat casinos started to get regulated in Illinois. In 1990, the official state legislation called the Riverboat Gambling Act was enacted. The following year, the pioneering licensed casino in riverboat opened in Alton. Then the rest was history.
Gambling laws in Chicago
The gambling laws of Chicago are covered under Illinois. Citizens above the legal age are allowed to play casino games, but only at one of the riverboat venues licensed to operate. In the state’s riverboat casinos, players may play different types of table games, such as the popular blackjack and craps. Poker rooms are also allowed if the riverboats are permitted by the state.
Meanwhile, online casino gambling is currently prohibited throughout Illinois. Although offshore few sites exist, playing from such operators isn’t recommended.
Those who break the gambling laws of Chicago and elsewhere in Illinois may learn the hard way. Gambling through unregulated means is a class A misdemeanor that may send you to jail for about 364 days in maximum. A penalty of up to $2,500 may also be imposed depending on the severity of the offense.
Casinos
You may ask if there are any casinos in Chicago, there are, but they aren’t the typical types. It’s in the Riverboats where you can play various gambling games in Chicago. You read well, riverboats are the casinos! These riverboats don’t cruise and only remain on barges, or boats that stay on the dockside. They also have a casino built over a very shallow pit that’s only filled with a few inches of water.
There are a total of 9 casinos in Chicago: five are located within the states of Illinois while the other four are located a short driving distance near Indiana.
While there’s no casino in downtown Chicago, there are some nearby. The closest casinos to downtown Chicago are the Rivers (near O’hare airport) and the Horseshoe, located in East Chicago, Indiana. Both casinos are around 17 miles from downtown Chicago and filled with top slot games you can also find in Vegas.
Online gambling
If you’re into online gambling, Chicago may not be the best for you. Unfortunately, online casinos are illegal in Illinois, as well as its neighbor state, Indiana.
You may go for online sports betting, though, as it was just recently permitted in the state. Bettors can now stake a wide variety of sports, especially on the state’s major professional team.
Developments of Chicago’s gambling industry
Currently, cards are drawn for the development of the gambling industry in Illinois, especially in Chicago. In 2019, a bill was introduced and realized, aiming to make Illinois the Midwest’s gambling capital.
The legislation aimed to loosen the state’s gambling law, such as permitting sports betting, sanctioning 6 new casinos, increasing the video gambling machines and the maximum bet, and more.
There’s also a recent buzz that Chicago has been officially seeking bids for the development of their first casino (outside Riverboats), which the city leaders said should be a “world-class” resort to draw more locals and tourists. They also believe that will open a huge opportunity to boost their economy and generate jobs.
The office of Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot also asked the casino developers to show their cards on how and where they should break ground to the casinos they’ll put up.
The potential of Chicago to open up casinos and collect higher taxes is now getting noticed by the local government. With all the developments in store, Chicago now has a clear path towards being one of the gambling capitals in the country.
Photo by Pedro Lastra on Unsplash