Senate for the Midwestern state has passed a $26 billion capital plan that would be paid for by legalising online lottery play alongside video poker.
Friday 29th May 2009
The American state of Illinois could be set to permit people to play the lottery online from next year if proposals passed by the Senate make it past the House Of Representatives and new Governor Pat Quinn.
The state’s Senate finally passed a long-stalled, multi-billion-dollar construction package last week that is designed to stimulate the economy. Costing upwards of $26 billion, the capital plan would repair roads, bridges, schools and other infrastructure.
To pay for the package, the Senate overwhelmingly passed a bill that would increase taxes on sweets, liquor and hygiene products alongside higher vehicle fees. However, the most controversial part of the proposed plan would see the legalisation of video poker machines in bars, truck stops and social clubs to raise an estimated $375 million a year.
As equally contentious, the Senate’s plan would also hand over the day-to-day management of the Illinois Lottery to a private firm and allowing the sale of lottery tickets online to raise an estimated $150 million annually.
'The train's rolling,' said Senator Ira Silverstein, Chairman of the Senate Executive Committee.
Observers report that the measures are expected to make it through the House Of Representatives easily with support already in place on both sides of the aisle. If this were to happen, the Governor could sign the measures into law as early as this weekend.
