WBEZ | gambling

Bulls odds improving after Game 1 upset

Wed, 08 May 2013 18:12:00 -0500

After a surprising Game-1 win against the Miami Heat Monday night, the Bulls’ odds seemed to be improving. But before what some have called the playoff upset of the decade, the battered Bulls were hardly a safe bet.

The Heat are the reigning champions and overwhelming favored to repeat.

In a ceremony before Monday night’s game, LeBron James was named the league’s most valuable player for the fourth time in five years.

The only player to interrupt his reign was Derrick Rose.

But Rose didn’t play in Game 1...or any other matchup this season.

And yet the Bulls managed to knock King James – and oddsmakers – off their game Monday night.

In fact, Miami was so favored to win the series that in order to win a single dollar off a bet in their favor, you’d have to put up $30. Again, to win a dollar...you’d have to bet 30.

But then the Bulls won--and the odds began to change.

“A lot of people are betting on the Bulls tonight with the points...it’s a lot of points, with 12 points. One book said it’s like 80 percent of the bets so far were on the Bulls,” David Purdum explained.

Purdum covers the sports-betting industry for OddsShark.com. He said the Bulls odds may still improve if they can get healthy. But, that some players’ return is more impactful than others.

“Luol Deng coming back would even surpass the impact on the line that Derrick Rose, if he was to decide to play. You just don’t know what you’re going to get out of Rose,” said Purdum.

Rose and Deng have both been ruled out for Wednesday’s game.

But here’s to Bull-ieving...

Katie O’Brien is a WBEZ reporter and producer. Follow her @katieobez.

Slots at O’Hare, Midway Airports still up in the air

Fri, 03 May 2013 17:19:00 -0500

Ill. Gov. Pat Quinn said he’ll be reviewing a new gambling expansion bill that passed the state senate this week, including the part about adding slot machines to Chicago’s airports. Quinn has vetoed two plans to expand gambling in recent years that would’ve added casinos around Illinois, including one in Chicago.

One of those failed bills included a measure that allowed O’Hare International and Midway Airports to install slots.

Quinn has been critical of slots at airports before. And that component is back in the latest gambling expansion bill approved by state senators.

“The governor’s point of view on this is very critical to making it happen,” said State Rep. Lou Lang, who’s supporting the bill in the House.

Lang said the whole concept of adding slots at O’Hare and Midway is still up in the air.

“I am not in any way wedded to it,” he said.

Lang said it’s still being negotiated.

Tony Arnold covers Illinois politics at WBEZ. Follow him @tonyjarnold.

Indiana lawmakers propose casino tax cut

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 11:24:00 -0600

Indiana lawmakers are proposing to cut riverboat casino taxes and allow the floating gambling halls to move onto land to help them face growing competition from neighboring states.

A state Senate committee is expected to take up a bill this week overhauling casino taxes, although estimates aren't available on how much money might be involved.

The debate comes as Indiana is projecting its casino tax revenue will drop 15 percent over the next three years from what was collected last year.

Republican Sen. Phil Boots of Crawfordsville says changes are needed to keep Indiana's ten riverboat casinos "in the game." But many state lawmakers are leery of supporting steps perceived as allowing an expansion of gambling.

New casinos in Ohio, Michigan and Illinois are providing competition for Indiana's casinos.

Gambling expansion back on Illinois governor's desk

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 05:00:00 -0600

In a surprise move, a bill to greatly expand gambling in Illinois is on Gov. Pat Quinn’s desk.

Illinois Senate President John Cullerton had used a parliamentary move to hold the bill, although it had passed both the House and the Senate in 2011. Cullerton released the bill Tuesday, sending it to the governor.

The measure calls for the creation of several new casinos in Illinois and adding slot machines at race tracks and at O’Hare and Midway airports.

A spokeswoman for the governor’s office had no immediate comment on the move, but the governor has criticized other gambling expansion efforts for not having strict enough ethics controls and for expanding gambling too much.

Chicagoans look to win $550 million Powerball jackpot

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 18:06:00 -0600

The $550 million Powerball jackpot has sparked a nationwide lotto frenzy.

The jackpot deadline prompted many who seldom gamble, if ever, to run out to the nearest convenience stores and snag a ticket.

Here in Chicago, people lined up in droves.

Two 7-eleven convenience stores downtown got hit with a late afternoon rush on Wednesday as people, like Tiffany Cleary, spent their last buck at a chance to win big.

“This is my last money before I get paid,” Cleary said. “This is all I have until payday.”

For other customers like Bobby Talley, it’s just a matter of persistence.

“I’m feeling lucky today,” Talley said. “I’ve been playing the same number for 30 years.”

And of course, most ticket buyers have dreams of quitting their jobs after they hit the jackpot like Molly Garris. She and a group of her co-workers pulled together to buy fifty dollars worth of tickets.

“We are absolutely going to win powerball tonight,” Garris said. “I can’t wait to quit my job tomorrow, it’s going to be the best moment of my life.”

But these lotto enthusiasts should take heed to some advice from a former jackpot winner.

Wesley Martin of Palatine won 3.75 million dollars last year.

“Don’t let it change your life,” Martin said. “Live your life as you always have been and don’t let anyone talk you into anything.”

Martin says he played the lottery for twenty years, so he was ready when he eventually won at the age of 65.

And if you do lose, consider this-- in Illinois, about 82 cents of each two-dollar ticket is donated to a common school fund or to help with bridges and roads.

'Morning Shift' #57: Big fracking deal

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 12:25:00 -0600

Hammond mayor wants two inland casinos

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 09:33:00 -0600

HAMMOND, Ind. — A northwestern Indiana mayor says he'll support moving one of the Lake Michigan riverboat casinos to an on-land location as long as his city gets a second casino.

Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. said the proposal to move Gary's Majestic Star casino to a spot along Interstate 80/94 would hurt profits at Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, so he would want his city to also have a casino near the highway.

Gary officials have pushed for several years for the state Legislature to approve an inland casino to boost its business.

McDermott tells The Times of Munster that two land-based casinos would help Indiana better compete against proposed new casinos in Illinois.

State Rep. Charlie Brown of Gary calls McDermott's proposal an attempt to block a casino change for Gary.

New Illinois lottery game to benefit military vets

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 09:30:00 -0600

Gov. Pat Quinn has bought $20 worth of Veterans Cash lottery tickets and is calling on others to play the newest edition of the game that benefits military vets in Illinois.

Ahead of Veterans Day, the governor helped launch the new game. More than $10 million has been raised for veterans' organizations since the program started in 2006.

All net proceeds go to groups like The Chicago Lighthouse, a nonprofit that helps the visually impaired, including veterans. Grants have been awarded to 190 organizations, including those specializing in post-traumatic stress disorder.

Speaking at The Chicago Lighthouse Wednesday, Quinn said buying a ticket "was a great investment, win or lose."

Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs Director Erica Borggren said it's a "very tangible way" to thank veterans for their service.

'Not everybody in Springfield ever gets everything they want': Rep. Lou Lang on gambling

Mon, 04 Jun 2012 08:48:00 -0500

“We have to make sure when you have the subject of gambling and gaming that everything is done right, from the beginning to the end. I think that’s the only way to go. It’s especially important to have oversight, integrity and protection for the public,” Illinois Governor Pat Quinn said last week about the ongoing debate in Springfield over whether to expand gambling in Illinois. The Governor has long been vocally skeptical over whether expanding the gaming industry in Illinois is the right move.

But does Illinois even need more gambling? And is it the best way to generate revenue? House Representative and sponsor of the bill Lou Lang (D-Skokie) strongly believes so.

"I've been working on this a long time and despite the fact that many think it's about revenue, for me, it's about many other things," said Lang. Mainly, adding jobs and not allowing the horse racing industry to die. It's about "helping a legal industry...grow," Lang said on Eight Forty-Eight. "It could just as easily be the widget industry."

Despite the fact that this legislative session has been crowded with issues to resolve, Lang doesn't think that means gambling expansion is less important.

"Yes, the Medicaid problem was severe. The pension discussion had to continue. We had to balance a state budget and hurt as few people as possible....but nevertheless, that does not mean we shouldn't work on a piece of legislation," said Lang, who's been advocating for gambling for some time. "The opportunity to put people to work is a very important one."

Responding to Governor Quinn's concerns, Lang pointed out that a version of the bill passed last week had concessions on eight of 12 areas the Governor had pointed out as problems.

That said, "Not everybody in Springfield ever gets everything they want," said Lang.

"A lot of people talk about saturation and cannibalization, but my job as a legislator is...to worry about the bottom line," he continued, arguing that it's a matter of free markets. "We wouldn't pass a law limiting McDonalds or Burger Kings."

There's still room for debate over how many jobs gambling expansion would bring the state. Lang says he's heard numbers as low as 25,000 and as high as 100,000. But he's interested in growth in "peripheral industries", like hospitality, and argues that the "upfront fees are not estimates," citing money from backers that could bring $1 billion a year to the state.

"This is just one other way to put people to work, one other way to create opportunities for people, and that's how I've always looked at it," Lang said.

While the Governor will likely veto the bill, Lang said he still thinks there's an opportunity to work it out. And if not, he's prepared to win this victory during veto session, even if it takes longer.

Cullerton gambles on Internet gaming

Tue, 15 May 2012 17:57:00 -0500

One of Illinois’ top statehouse Democrats wants the state to become an international hub for internet gaming, the purpose being to draw new revenue into the state’s meager coffers.

Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago) is aiming to move quickly on legislation that would both regulate and promote internet gambling.

Cullerton laid out his idea in a letter sent Monday to both parties’ leaders in the House and Senate.

The proposal calls for the creation of a new Division of Internet Gaming within the Illinois Lottery.

“To further capture new revenues available in the iGaming marketplace in a manner that protects consumers, provides logical and responsible regulation,” Cullerton stated in a news release.

The Internet gaming industry is estimated to be worth $40 billion. It is largely unregulated and untaxed, so overseas companies dominate the market.

“We estimate hundreds of millions of dollars,” Cullerton stated. “The state could organize the first major poker pool, garner worldwide popularity and position itself as a ‘hub’ for multistate and international iGaming.”

Cullerton said such a move can be done in an “ethical and socially responsible manner” while still generating millions for the state.

States such as California, Iowa and New Jersey are looking to regulate online gambling.

Cullerton’s push is meant to also prevent potential federal legislation that could supercede states’ own regulations and operations.

In March, Illinois became the first state to sell lottery tickets on the Internet.

So far, Cullerton’s idea seems to be getting nowhere with Gov. Quinn.

“We are wholly focused on pension and Medicaid solutions, which are essential to restoring fiscal stability to Illinois. Those are our priorities right now,” Quinn spokeswoman Brooke Anderson stated. “We need to keep our eye on the ball and that is solving these two major issues that are consuming 39 percent of taxpayers dollars while squeezing out every other area of state government.”

Gambling industry supporters earlier this year introduced another gaming proposal that would allow for more casinos and slot machines at horse tracks in Illinois. That proposal has not gained traction in the Illinois House and Senate.