The measure, which also includes other gaming law tweaks, passed the Senate 50-7 without debate.Ĭunningham said he’s not expecting any roadblocks in the state House of Representatives, where state Rep. 'If there is a need for a safety hatch involving the Chicago project, this would provide that, too,' Cunningham said.Ī Bally’s spokeswoman wouldn’t comment on the bill. Still, following Bally’s lengthy negotiations to acquire the Chicago Tribune printing facility - and their ambitious construction timeline to transform it into a $1.34 billion casino - Cunningham said the flexible language in his bill 'could be helpful to the casino project at some point.' has had to hold off on building its permanent casino while a lawsuit from a spurned bidder for the coveted project plays out against the north suburb.īally’s lobbyists weren’t involved in crafting the legislation, and their massive downtown development 'was not prominent in the thinking' of the bill, according to the South Side senator, who shepherds most gaming legislation in his chamber’s Democratic super majority.
Cunningham said the amendment was written at the behest of officials in Waukegan, where Full House Resorts Inc.
