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Illinois Careful to Avoid Corruption in Casino Licensing Process
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS --
The three candidates to receive Illinois' tenth and last casino license were told that the prized license would be awarded to Midwest Gaming, to be used for a riverboat in Des Plaines. Rosemont and Waukegan were the two other cities contending to host the casino.
Of the three surviving bidders, Midwest offered the least cash, bidding $125 million to $225 million for Waukegan Gaming and $435 million for Trilliant Gaming, which wanted to occupy Rosemont. But officials indicated the history in Rosemont, which involved organized crime figures among potential owners of the last casino bid, hurt Trilliant.
Illinois Gaming Board member Charles Gardner put it succinctly. "Rosemont is tainted by reputation." The board carried the measure for Des Plaines with a three-to -one vote. The one voter against, Reverend Eugene Winkler, said all three sites were unacceptable for different reasons.
Illinois lawmakers are being especially careful under the national spotlight drawn by Governor Rod Blagojevich. Blagojevich is implicated in a plan to sell Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat, along with other misuses of power for personal gain. Among the accusations from federal authorities is the charge Blagojevich extorted campaign contributions from the horse racing industry.
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