CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Sports wagering at Chicago’s sports stadiums doesn’t look like a sure bet after the sometimes contentious City Council hearing Monday.
Fueled by a state law, Chicago’s ordinance would allow each of the city’s five largest stadiums to house or be near a sports betting operations. The city would collect licensing fees, but 15th Ward Alderman Ray Lopez said it’s a bad deal.
"Here we are getting nothing other than our own licensing and not negotiating any better deal. We should be apart of the revenue sharing, as well, not just the licensing issue," he said.
But former City Corporation Counsel Mara Georges, representing United Center and Wrigley Field, said the gaming would bring in jobs and money spending-crowds.
"Ninety-six percent of sports wagering in Illinois takes place online. Adding an additional tax will encourage potential betters to use their phones to place bets," she said.
But backers of a Chicago casino said stadium gaming would hurt their business.
Neil Bluhm, who owns Rivers Casino in Des Plaines and several other operations, wants a Chicago casino, too, and believes that if the city allows sports gaming at stadiums, studies show it’s bad for casinos.
"If there are sport books at the stadiums, it is projected that the Chicago casino sports betting business would drop from $40 million a year to $13 million; almost a 70 percent drop," Bluhm said.
But Grant Govertsen, head of Union Gaming, told aldermen sports betting isn’t a big deal for casinos.
"Ultimately we expect these dynamics as mentioned above be mirrored in Chicago, and that the vast majority of sports betting will likely occur via mobile phones," he said.
The stadiums and their partners just want a piece of the action.
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