Chicago Governor Rahm Emanuel and Illinois Governor Pat Quinn continue to spar in person and in the media over casino legislation. For Emanuel, a Chicago casino can’t come fast enough. For Quinn, the legislation needs to be studied carefully to make sure they don’t do more harm than good.

The fellow Democrats agree that allowing a casino in Chicago is a good idea. It would bring revenue to the city that is currently crossing the border to Indiana. However, the legislation that would allow such a casino also calls for several other casinos, slot machines at racetracks and even slots in airports.

Mayor Emanuel is counting on getting the revenue that a Chicago casino would provide, so much that he seems to already be allocating that money. Emanuel predicts that a Chicago casino will bring in $150 million in annual revenue for the city and he has that revenue earmarked for CTA stations, roadwork, school renovations and more. It’s nice to have a plan for extra money, but Governor Quinn doesn’t like the mayor publicly saying how he will spend money that the governor has yet to approve. According to Quinn “spending the money before the law is passed is putting the cart before the horse.”

Emanuel says the revenue is vital to Chicago. In recent years, the federal and state government is allocating less money to the city for its infrastructure. Emanuel says that he is “committed to making sure that the resources that have not been coming from Washington, that have not been coming from Springfield,” start coming from a Chicago casino. To Emanuel, a casino allows the city to become more self-sufficient and pay for needed projects.

Governor Quinn has said that he has a number of problems with the gambling legislation, including that it is too big and that it would reduce government oversight of the industry. He says that the bill has “serious shortcomings” when it comes to “honesty and integrity.” Emanuel has not commented on the bill as a whole, only on the part concerning a casino for the Windy City.

New Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel got his wish in the Illinois House, and as far as I know he didn’t even have to send a dead fish or any other threat to get it. The state House of Representatives passed a bill allowing a casino in Chicago. The bill now moves to the Senate, where Emanuel is urging them to pass it swiftly.

By a 65-50 vote, the House passed a bill that would allow four additional casinos in Illinois, including one in Chicago. The legislation would also allow slot machines to be added to the state’s racetracks and to the two airports in Chicago.

Emanuel supports the legislation and has lobbied lawmakers in the House and Senate on behalf of bringing a casino to Chicago. He has talked to members of both parties and has also lobbied the governor. After the House passed the bill, Emanuel issued a statement saying that “a Chicago casino will spur local economic growth and provide jobs to Chicagoans, both needed to get our city moving again.”

Often when someone says that a casino will boost an economy, someone else rolls their eyes and says that it won’t do much. However, it’s hard to make that case for Chicago. Though the city doesn’t have its own casino, there is one across the border in Hammond, Indiana, which is only 25 miles away. The casino there gets so much business from Chicago that they refer to themselves as a Chicago entertainment business. Half-joking, Emanuel said recently that “we have a casino in Chicago,” but that “it just happens to be located in Hammond, Indiana.”

Terry Link, the senator sponsoring the bill in his chamber, says that he expects it to clear the Senate easily. He also expects Governor Pat Quinn to “take a long hard look” at the legislation, eventually signing it to avoid turning down billions of tax dollars and new jobs.

More and more states have been expanding gambling lately. For some, it’s in order to provide more revenue to states that are strapped for cash. For some, it’s a civil rights issue, where they feel a ban on gambling goes against the freedom of people to spend their money as they please. For others, it’s simply because they like regulating things.

Last year, the state of Illinois passed a law that legalized video gambling in the state. It was done with the thinking that any city or town that didn’t want to be a part of the gambling industry could opt out by banning it. Anyplace in the state where video gambling wasn’t specifically banned would be made legal by the new state law.

When that happened, the city of Chicago quickly passed a ban on video gambling machines. Since it’s Chicago, the more corrupt city in America, I’m guessing it’s because the anti-gambling lobby paid the politicians more money than the pro-gambling lobby did. After all, money is the grease in the Chicago political machine.

After hearing pleas from supporters of video gambling, the Chicago City Council finally agreed to consider overturning the ban. After listening to the groups, the Council had a hearing on the video gambling ban on Monday. The outcome of the hearing – if there was an outcome – is unknown.

The battle over the legalization of video gambling at the state level was intense and at times it has been in Chicago as well. Supporters state that overturning the ban will result in increased revenue as well as a creation of jobs. Considering Chicago is going bankrupt and has an unemployment rate over 11%, both are big issues. Of course, since this is Chicago, I doubt the City Council cares what is good for the people and will only act in their own interests. That means that the pro-gambling lobby better start making good offers.

Of course, I’m not advocating bribery or any other sort of corruption. I am only acknowledging that it is rampant and expected in the Windy City. The pro-gambling lobby wasn’t “convincing” enough the first time. Let’s see if they do a better job this time.