brian / May 11, 2004 3:48 PM

No. There are plenty of reasons to come to the city. No one is going to come here only because of the casino. It'll suck money from residents.

Plus, I have *zero* faith that the city can keep it clean. Corruption, mob, etc.

Cinnamon / May 11, 2004 3:54 PM

There are OTB places, I think that's enough. Nope!

john / May 11, 2004 3:59 PM

I agree. No way should this city have a casino. Most of the money casinos generate comes from people who don't have any money in the first place.

I'm anxious to see if anyone will be able to stop Daley from building a casino. He generally does whatever he wants.

Eamon / May 11, 2004 5:02 PM

As long as there are showgirls, I'm all for it.

Benjy / May 11, 2004 5:42 PM

Bring it on! I don't see what the stigma is to having casinos. Nowadays they're run by big, public corporations. Not like the mob-run ones of days past.

Maybe Trump could add one to his soon-to-be built Trump International Tower. By the time it's done, Bill Rancic will be some washed up former celebrity who can work as a greeter for the casino...

Ramsin / May 11, 2004 7:11 PM

Yes. Chicago should get a casino. It will be corrupt, it won't be perfect, but a city-owned and operated casino downtown would suddenly put Chicago in a different class--somehow, even better than the near perfection its at now.

dce / May 11, 2004 8:02 PM

Another class indeed . . . downtrodden slot players, and blue haired tourists with polyester pants would descend on Chicago in droves. Better to spend the money that would go into attracting a casino (don't think for a second that it'd be free - remember what we went through to get Boeing to relocate?) on education, health care, etc.

Daley has used his "mandate" to have his way more than once. Meigs field was destroyed in the middle of the night, and Soldier field was redeveloped (with fewer seats) without debate or public discourse. The buck stops here.

I'll be the first to lay down in front of the bulldozers.

Andrew / May 11, 2004 8:12 PM

Maybe we'll finally have something to go on Block 37.

Ruthie Hansen / May 11, 2004 8:25 PM

No.

Hell no.

'That Ian' / May 12, 2004 7:32 AM

Yes we should. Remember in Sim City when you get the casino offer and it's a huge deal because crime is going to increase in your city but the quality of life is also going to increase and you don't know what to do because the police chief is telling you not to do it and your treasurer is telling you that you cannot afford NOT to do it? Yeah, that's how this is, because we’ve already got tons of crime and not enough money. So why not bring in more of both? We can use the prison-labor to route the ever-increasing number of 9-1-1 calls and the money to fund the god-awful Millennium Park project. And maybe buy some books for our public schools with the excess funding...

Pete / May 12, 2004 8:57 AM

No. The idea behind legalizing casinos was to bring jobs and tax dollars to depressed post-industrial cities like Peoria, Joliet and Elgin. Chicago hardly qualifies as needing an economic shot in the arm--there's no shortage of tourist dollars already flowing through the city's economy. And building casinos is a zero-sum game--build one in Chicago, and you'll decimate the business of the casinos in the outlying areas. You won't get more people gambling, but just siphon away revenues from other cities which need it just as badly, if not more.

Jeff / May 12, 2004 10:28 AM

completely self-absorbed, civically irresponsible answer: Yes. Slot machines are fun. I like places with free drinks.

Other answers are still under consideration, pending a critical review of studies on how casino openings affect local communities.

But seriously: free drinks and slot machines.

Stewart / May 12, 2004 10:36 AM

ha ha ha ha ha ha NO.

Jake / May 12, 2004 11:24 AM

Absolutely. Who are you to tell people -- even if they are poor and uneducated -- what they can do with their money? People can already blow it on state-sponsored lottery games, so why not a full-blown casino? This paternalism toward the poor is what makes poor people hate liberals, you know.

They should make it like in 1961, though, where men must wear suits and ties to get in, and women must wear dresses.

pat / May 12, 2004 12:24 PM

I initially pondered the idea of a casino for waukegan (my hometown), and really I don't see it doing much real good there. sure it would bring jobs and money into the city; but are casino cities often "destinations"? Hammond? Gary? Aurora? East St. Louis? Waukegan at this point, could use a miracle; not 'loose slots'.

That said, does Chicago need one? i'm kind of iffy. would it impact/improve the convention business? will the creation impact a specific neighborhood? will the graft and corruption associated with a casino be at a tolerable level? will it be *tastefully* done?

i initially lean toward no, but if the planets are in conjunction, and everything were just right, i'd say yes.

paul / May 12, 2004 12:38 PM

Yes, but not in the Loop. Put it down south near Lake Calumet, extend the Redline, build a South Shore line Station and a new exit (or even a Casino bypass) off 94. Or put it on the Lake south of 79th.

Plenty of room down there for an entire strip of casinos.

That'll stop casinos from changing the character of the Loop, keep the blue-haired slot-addicts in their place and divert the traffic that would have made a Rosemont or Loop casino a complete roadblock.

Carly / May 12, 2004 12:48 PM

Casinos make me think of the word "depravity".

I just hate the idea of people who have addiction problems having another outlet to lose all of their money and their minds.

I know, I know, we all have freewill, yada, yada, yada...but if you've ever been to the casino in Elgin (or anywhere else), you'll see nothing but older folks pissing away their social security money at a nickel slot.

It's fun and all...I love Las Vegas...but that's where you go for two or three days to indulge in a city of sin. Then you come home to reality.

Kell / May 12, 2004 2:28 PM

Umm, not to get off topic here but I wouldn't bank on the free drinks. I've never been to a casino in Illinois that offers free drinks to regular gamblers/slots and such (high stakes no idea, but probably, sure).

And from what I understand, most of them have cover charges.

Then again, I have only been to three or four casinos in Illinois so I don't know for sure. However, if there are casinos offering up free booze, I'd sure like to know!