Comments on: Elgin casino will lose half-million visitors http://elginite.org/blog/2009/01/07/elgin-casino-will-lose-half-million-visitors/ Mon, 15 Mar 2010 10:03:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: mike http://elginite.org/blog/2009/01/07/elgin-casino-will-lose-half-million-visitors/#comment-46055 mike Thu, 26 Feb 2009 21:26:12 +0000 http://elginite.org/blog/2009/01/07/elgin-casino-will-lose-half-million-visitors/#comment-46055 try to stop it from happening.... we dont need another one so close by. the pie keeps getting cut. it does not make sense. can anyone help stop the des plaines casino from happening? it really needs to be in a different area. try to stop it from happening…. we dont need another one so close by. the pie keeps getting cut. it does not make sense. can anyone help stop the des plaines casino from happening? it really needs to be in a different area.

]]> By: RS http://elginite.org/blog/2009/01/07/elgin-casino-will-lose-half-million-visitors/#comment-45478 RS Fri, 09 Jan 2009 05:40:37 +0000 http://elginite.org/blog/2009/01/07/elgin-casino-will-lose-half-million-visitors/#comment-45478 I think they chose Des Plaines purely because they expect to make the most money at that location. As Geognerd's analysis shows, the market area for a Des Plaines casino is the largest of all the existing casinos, and would also be larger than a Waukegan casino. They could have put it in Rosemont, but it would not have looked good, so Des Plaines became the logical place. Not sure about the prospects for a Chicago casino, but if they really want to maximize Illinois gaming revenues, they will allow the Rosemont/Des Plaines region to become the Atlantic City (or Biloxi or whatever) of the Midwest. I'm sure Rosemont would love that. Elgin though seems to have a love-hate relationship with casino gambling. They love the money, but they're embarrassed by the presence of a huge gambling enterprise in the community, and when the opportunity to expand gaming in Elgin was mooted, city leaders immediately shot it down. I think they chose Des Plaines purely because they expect to make the most money at that location. As Geognerd’s analysis shows, the market area for a Des Plaines casino is the largest of all the existing casinos, and would also be larger than a Waukegan casino. They could have put it in Rosemont, but it would not have looked good, so Des Plaines became the logical place.

Not sure about the prospects for a Chicago casino, but if they really want to maximize Illinois gaming revenues, they will allow the Rosemont/Des Plaines region to become the Atlantic City (or Biloxi or whatever) of the Midwest. I’m sure Rosemont would love that.

Elgin though seems to have a love-hate relationship with casino gambling. They love the money, but they’re embarrassed by the presence of a huge gambling enterprise in the community, and when the opportunity to expand gaming in Elgin was mooted, city leaders immediately shot it down.

]]> By: John G. http://elginite.org/blog/2009/01/07/elgin-casino-will-lose-half-million-visitors/#comment-45476 John G. Fri, 09 Jan 2009 04:36:59 +0000 http://elginite.org/blog/2009/01/07/elgin-casino-will-lose-half-million-visitors/#comment-45476 So, the casino will go from being vastly profitable to profitable. Sooner or later, it was bound to happen. Does anyone really think that the state would never expand? Perhaps it is time for the casino and the city to start actually marketing themselves as a destination. The Grand Victoria has rested on its monopoly for too long. The marketing that is done is minimal. To its credit, the city has long held the line in using casino proceeds in financing the day-to-day operations, so whatever they still reap will still be gravy. Just not so much. Besides, once that insipid governor is gone, don't think that King Richard of Chicago won't eventually get his mega-casino. Then everyone else will lose. I'd be more concerned about the bankrupt developers leaving Downtown Elgin half-finished than losing a share of the casino business. Mind you, this is not to question why Des Plaines, a generally profitable and stable community, was chosen over Waukegan, an rundown town much like Aurora and Elgin once were. Given recent state-level events, one wonders how much the governor was paid by someone in Des Plaines. So, the casino will go from being vastly profitable to profitable. Sooner or later, it was bound to happen. Does anyone really think that the state would never expand?

Perhaps it is time for the casino and the city to start actually marketing themselves as a destination. The Grand Victoria has rested on its monopoly for too long. The marketing that is done is minimal.

To its credit, the city has long held the line in using casino proceeds in financing the day-to-day operations, so whatever they still reap will still be gravy. Just not so much.

Besides, once that insipid governor is gone, don’t think that King Richard of Chicago won’t eventually get his mega-casino. Then everyone else will lose.

I’d be more concerned about the bankrupt developers leaving Downtown Elgin half-finished than losing a share of the casino business.

Mind you, this is not to question why Des Plaines, a generally profitable and stable community, was chosen over Waukegan, an rundown town much like Aurora and Elgin once were. Given recent state-level events, one wonders how much the governor was paid by someone in Des Plaines.

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