Not! It’s time for Stupid Government Tricks, in which the guvmint blunders into gambling oversight, usually with disastrous consequences. First up is Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D), who wants to double down on Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) and his usurious tax on sports betting handle. Seeing all the money the state stands to make (and possibly affrighted by the specter of predatory prediction markets), Johnson proposes a 10.25% tax on OSB revenue. It’s all part of a tap dance to cover a gaping budgetary hole. The target amount? $26 million a year.
Fortunately for almost all concerned, Johnson’s idea landed with a thud in the state capital. Within hours, five solons were putting their names to a bill that would prevent Johnson from getting a slice of that OSB lucre. “When the legislature legalized sports betting in 2019, it was never our intent to allow local governments to create their own rules for this industry,” said Rep. Daniel Didech (D), and Big Gaming heaved a sigh of relief. As bad as it is to be picked apart by Pritzker and the Lege, carve-outs by individual municipalities would be infinitely worse and soon there might be nothing left, pushing reputable operators out of the state. Didech and his co-sponsors can’t do anything until January but we’re reasonably sure Johnson’s money-grab will be smothered in the cradle.
Incidentally, Illinois could be the site of a gubernatorial throw-down between gaming moguls this November. In addition to Pritzker (above), whose family owns the venerable Grand Victoria, in Elgin, another gambling baron has thrown his chips into the ring. “Slick Rick” Heidner, no stranger to these pages, wants to be the GOP nominee. Gambling has been good for both men: Heidner has a slot-route empire in the Land of Lincoln (4,000 slots in 800 spots), while Pritzker recently revealed that he took an unnamed Las Vegas casino for almost $1.5 million at blackjack.
This may be a grudge match, Pritzker having derailed Heidner’s ambition to develop a racino. Slick Rick has a well-earned reputation for shady ethics. His Mob associations should make entertaining fodder for the Pritzker campaign. Slick Rick has already donated $1 million to his own cause, which is interesting, as he owed Uncle Sam $5 million not so long ago. Good thing he’s got all those slots churning out cash. While we’ve long viewed Slick Rick with distaste (he seems to think rules are for chumps), he’s perhaps the most palatable choice of the GOP field … which tells you something about Illinois politics.
In vain have 50 state attorneys general appealed for U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to get off her duff and do something about offshore gambling sites, a multi-billion-dollar industry siphoning consumer liquidity out of the United States economy. No, Bondi had her eyes on a much-bigger prize: an illicit rasino in Wilder, Idaho (pop. 1,957). This hotbed of illegality was the site of a Department of Justice-sponsored omnibus raid last weekend. Four people were arrested for illegal gambling—and 101 others were swept up in a Bondi dragnet. The DoJ trotted out its anti-gambling boilerplate for the occasion: “Illegal gambling isn’t a victimless crime. These operations can create an increase in violent crime, drug activity, and violence, putting communities at risk.” Scary place, that Wilder.
As the dust settled, it became clear that the DoJ was engaged in a catchall operation, rounding people up first and deciding what to charge them with later. Immigration & Customs Enforcement had a not-so-fine hand in what has the look, sound and feel of a racial pogrom, peppering the air with rubber bullets. We have no earthly idea what little kids were doing at a racino, legal or otherwise, but binding the tykes up with zip ties is a disgusting, terroristic overreaction. (The rationalization was that to “ensure the safety” of the little nippers. Uh-huh.) Small wonder that the FBI canceled a preening, posturing press conference it had planned.
Idaho Gov. Brad Little (R) showed just how small he is by tossing out all manner of random bogeymen to cover for the racially motivated assault: “Illegal gambling operations involving animals often accompany drug trafficking, animal abuse, illegal weapons trafficking, and large sums of money that end up in the hands of cartel bosses.” Mind you, the feds made no mention of drug trafficking or illegal weapons, so Little was reduced to covering their ass with his verbal toilet paper. We stand with the ACLU, whose response to the Lidice-style operation was, “No person, no Idahoan, no American should ever accept whenever a government does this to its own people.”
We sympathize with anyone owning a casino in the fair state of Virginia (our native soil). After all, the government keeps moving the goal posts on how many casinos will be permitted in the Cavalier State and where they will be. There’s no way to plan for it and forget about getting an appropriate (and justifiable) tax reduction. Roanoke Mayor Joe Cobb (D, above) is the latest to covet a casino, to be taxed at just 6% (we like that part). However, that would be small beer: The theoretical casino’s theoretical annual profit would be (theoretically) $6 million, money that Big Gaming would hardly stoop to collect.
However, Cobb failed to consult the Lege (which is initially disinclined) or his constituents, who are scarcely enthusiastic. Words like “blindsided” and “slapping us in the face” were flung about at a public meeting on the subject. Even his own vice mayor came out against the notion. Nearby Vinton didn’t sound too appreciative, either, as it already has a Rosie’s slot parlor that a Roanoke casino might menace. Now we’re all for casinos in those Virginia cities that want them (as Petersburg overwhelmingly did in the last election). But those that don’t ought to be left alone. Yes, Fairfax County, we’re looking at you too.
Nice try, Joe.
Whew. Keep up the good work.. This stuff gets crazier by the week.