30
Apr
2012
The Illinois Revenue & Jobs Alliance released a poll earlier this week.
The results confirmed that Illinois voters strongly support a gaming solution that would generate $200 million in increased annual state revenue and create more than 20,500 jobs.
Findings included:
74% prefer finding new revenue sources to raising taxes or cutting gov. programs.
62% support the overall gaming solution laid out in SB 1849.
70% of Collar County voters support the bill.
68% of Northern Illinois voters support the bill.
61% of Southern Illinois voters support the bill.
60% of Cook County voters support the bill.
54% of Central Illinois voters support the bill.
In terms of how voters view the different components of SB 1849, the results were:
69% support increasing the number of slot machines on Illinois riverboats.
68% favor adding slots to the state's six existing racetracks.
64% support authorizing four new riverboat casinos throughout the state.
62% support a land-based casino in Chicago.
The survey of 800 likely Illinois voters was conducted April 10-12 by Public Opinion Strategies.
The Belleville News Democrat reported on the IRJA's economic impact study, focusing on Farimont Park in Collinsville, the state's only Southern-based horse-racing venue.Findings included:
74% prefer finding new revenue sources to raising taxes or cutting gov. programs.
62% support the overall gaming solution laid out in SB 1849.
70% of Collar County voters support the bill.
68% of Northern Illinois voters support the bill.
61% of Southern Illinois voters support the bill.
60% of Cook County voters support the bill.
54% of Central Illinois voters support the bill.
In terms of how voters view the different components of SB 1849, the results were:
69% support increasing the number of slot machines on Illinois riverboats.
68% favor adding slots to the state's six existing racetracks.
64% support authorizing four new riverboat casinos throughout the state.
62% support a land-based casino in Chicago.
The survey of 800 likely Illinois voters was conducted April 10-12 by Public Opinion Strategies.
The Metro-East track has struggled to compete for gambling dollars as markets in St. Louis have expanded gaming options. Fairmont Park President Brian Zander said the positive economic figures in the report should serve as an incentive for Illinois to recapture those dollars during tight budget times.
"What really stands out is the number of jobs that would be created, the permanent jobs and the part-time construction jobs," Zander said. "Also, if you look through this bill that this study analyze, there are millions, hundreds of millions of up-front fees that we pay that would be an addition to ongoing revenues. Again, this is a state that really needs the money."
