{"id":21547,"date":"2018-04-19T06:40:54","date_gmt":"2018-04-19T14:40:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/?p=21547"},"modified":"2018-04-19T06:40:54","modified_gmt":"2018-04-19T14:40:54","slug":"looking-for-change-in-illinois-copperfield-goes-poof","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lasvegasadvisor.com\/stiffs-and-georges\/looking-for-change-in-illinois-copperfield-goes-poof\/","title":{"rendered":"Looking for change in Illinois; Copperfield goes “Poof!”"},"content":{"rendered":"

Grand Victoria<\/strong> is such small potatoes in the MGM Resorts International<\/strong> portfolio that the Elgin<\/strong> riverboat’s management used to be farmed out to co-owner Hyatt Gaming<\/strong> (since succeeded by the Pritzker family’s RBG<\/strong>). The Elgin City Council<\/strong> is hoping that will change with a turnover of ownership. It’s counting on getting a bigger chunk of change<\/a> if Grand \"\"Victoria’s performance improves. “Grand Victoria would be a bigger part of the Eldorado<\/strong>‘s portfolio than it is for MGM, so maybe there would be more focus on the property,” said Councilman Terry Gavin<\/strong>. Also not-uninterested is Kane County<\/strong>, which gets 7.5% of Grand Victoria’s net operating income, which goes toward everything from food banks to environmental remediation. The riverboat is a legacy from MGM’s absorption of Mandalay Resort Group<\/strong>, a transaction that left MGM with a number of small-fry properties it has been selling off here and there. Divestiture of Grand Victoria is consonant with that strategy — and MGM doesn’t have to pay Illinois<\/strong>‘ inflated tax rate anymore if the deal goes through.<\/p>\n

Elsewhere in the Land of Lincoln, Burr Ridge<\/strong> is wrestling with the question of whether or not to allow slot routes<\/a> (nine local businesses want them). The town is facing a budget deficit, so the outcome of the debate is probably a foregone conclusion. Village Board Member Zachary Mottl<\/strong> presented it as a painless alternative to increasing taxes and fees.\u00a0\u201cI am a fan of finding new ways to collect revenue before we go to tax increases to the residents,\u201d he said.\u00a0\u201cIf it doesn\u2019t hurt us but benefit us, why shouldn\u2019t we do it?\u201d asked slot-route advocate John Bittner<\/strong>, touting figures that contended Burr Ridge would see\u00a0$50,000-$70,000 generated\u00a0the slots. Burr Ridge would be well advised to bank on the lower end of the range: neighboring Indian Head Park<\/strong> brought in $55,000 but adjacent Willowbrook<\/strong> only $37,000.<\/p>\n

* David Copperfield<\/strong> is in the unlucky position of having the secrets of his “Lucky #13” act revealed in court. Seems it wasn’t all that magical<\/a> for a British tourist. MGM Grand<\/strong> was under renovation and Gavin Cox took a fall while being hustled from the stage to the back of the audience, allegedly leaving my trauma-induced brain lesions. Copperfield has protested having the mechanics of “Lucky #13” revealed in court but the judge took the stance that, since 55,000 people have been ‘transported’ over the years, the secret is pretty much out. Hey, it’s better than having the secret of Copperfield’s hair weave (I’ve seen it up close) disclosed, no?<\/p>\n