Quote:
Originally Posted by WindyCityJ
Kevin, it's my belief that the problem isn't so much that the casinos in Illinois are greedy (but I wouldn't deny it either) but rather, the Illinois gaming law that's structured in such a way that it's nearly impossible for the casinos to make a profit without instituting abysmal rakes, and payouts in the pits and slots.
I have closely followed Illinois gaming regulations for years. I find WindyCityJ’s statement to be very accurate. Empress and Hollywood are both owned by Penn National Gaming. Penn National also owns Hollywood Casino in Lawrenceburg Indiana. Anyone who reads the Hollywood Casino (Formerly Argosy) Thread on this forum will find this casino is a good place for poker players. They just finished hosting their first WPT event. I have long been critical of the WPT ignoring the Chicago market. So I was very happy to see the first WPT event run in the Midwest at Hollywood.
Over the past few years we have seen a boom in poker rooms in Illinois. Sadly it wasn’t for the poker player’s benefit with current Illinois Gaming Regulations. The Chicago market could easily support 20 plus table poker rooms. What we are seeing is small poker rooms opened to help curb declining casino revenues. So for busy small poker rooms under current state regulations the management’s only option is to raise the rake.
The state of Illinois again has stabbed the casino owners in the back. Now bars will be allowed to have slot machines. As the state eagerly awaits new revenues sources the Illinois casinos braces for another financial hit. So until the state wakes up and realizes they are moving in the wrong direction. If feel that the $6 rake at Empress is reasonable.