Illinois governor critical of neighborhood gambling plan

Maura Kelly

Monday, May 12, 2003 | 9:43 a.m.

CHICAGO -- Gov. Rod Blagojevich said a bill that would legalize video poker at restaurants and bars "doesn't smell right" but stopped short of saying he would veto it if the Legislature passes the bill.

The first-term Democrat, in a wide-ranging interview with the Associated Press, discussed issues in the library of his Chicago home on the city's northwest side.

The package of gambling bills calls for giving Chicago its own casino, legalizing video poker machines in bars and restaurants, and allowing hundreds more slot machines at riverboat casinos while also putting thousands of slots at horse tracks for the first time.

The video poker proposal, which has floated around the Capitol for years but was recently resurrected by House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, troubles Blagojevich the most.

"I have serious and grave reservations about a proposal that doesn't smell right, that seems kind of slimy and kind of sleazy," Blagojevich said.

"The idea that every neighborhood bar would have video poker machines and then the working guy goes there after work and gets hooked on something where he's spending all of his money and then can't afford to send his kids to school and make ends meet, I'm troubled by that," Blagojevich said.

The governor, who has recently softened his opposition to gambling expansion by saying he won't rule out an 11th casino license for the state, would not say if he would veto a bill that legalizes video poker machines. While he is willing to hear lawmakers' arguments for and against the bill, he said their job could be hard.

"The proponents of video poker will have to go a long, long way and travel a long, hard road to convince me that that is in the best interest for the people of our state," Blagojevich said. "Do we really want an Illinois where we can go from Cairo to Chicago and play video poker in every corner and area of the state?"

He also would not say what he would do if the rest of the gambling package is approved.

"It would be irresponsible for me to simply shut the door on an option like that when it's being proposed by members of the Legislature," Blagojevich said.

Blagojevich's budget does not call for an expansion of gambling, but it relies heavily on the sale of the state's 10th casino license. He said Chicago should not be excluded from competing for that license.

"I think Chicago is going to make a strong argument that it's probably a very strong candidate for a place to raise the most revenue for the state," Blagojevich said.