风城风言：芝加哥欲建“拉斯维加斯”

Casinos for Chicago

芝加哥的赌场

Las Vegas of the Midwest

美国中西部的“拉斯维加斯”

Jun 16th 2011 | CHICAGO | from the print edition

http://www7.economist.com/node/18836350

A new bill may bring (legal) gambling to the Windy City

风城风言：芝加哥欲立法建立中西部的“拉斯维加斯”

IN THE 1920s Al Capone controlled Chicago’s underground gambling dens, and for decades thereafter the city has shied away from the whole business. But Rahm Emanuel, Chicago’s newly minted mayor, is determined to open a publicly-owned casino to help fill his empty coffers. So, with City Hall’s strong support, the state legislature passed a bill expanding gambling in Illinois on May 31st. It needs the governor’s signature—but Pat Quinn is hedging.

早在1920年代，黑道老大就控制了芝加哥所有地下赌博窝点，之后的几十年里整个城市并未系统地开展过博彩业活动。可现在，芝加哥市长伊曼纽尔拉姆新官上任，就决定开设一家公营赌场，来填充釀中羞涩钱袋子。这当然得到了芝加哥市府的支持，伊利诺斯州立法会也通过议案，拓展伊利诺州的博彩业，只需州长奎因签字便可成为法律生效。但是，州长奎因却无可置否。

The bill would add four new casinos, as well as Chicago’s, in southern Illinois and would allow statewide video gambling. Betting would be permitted in bars, restaurants and petrol stations. Racetracks and perhaps airports could have slot machines. Mr Quinn thinks the bill is “excessive”, so may not go all in. But the state’s finances are down to the felt, with the deficit expected to hit $11 billion. Most likely, he would tweak the bill with an “amendatory veto”, taking out the elements he dislikes.

该法案将计划在伊利诺斯州南部建立四个像芝加哥一样的新赌场，并允许州内视频赌博。这样，酒吧、餐厅以及加油站都允许进行赌博。这就有可能在赛车场或者飞机场都设有老虎机。奎因先生认为该法案过于过于冒进，因此，法案中有一部分的条款将可能不予通过。但是本国的财政收入已经跌进谷底，预期的财政赤字将高达110亿美元。因此，他更有可能修改该法案，挑出其中他不同意的条款。

New revenue is badly needed in Chicago, too. Mr Emanuel inherited a $587m shortfall in the 2012 budget. The Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce (which covers the city and its hinterland) reckons a big Chicago casino would bring $650m in gaming revenue a year for the city as well as 2,500 permanent casino jobs and 1,500 temporary construction jobs. It could generate a further $130m in non-gaming revenues. Gerald Roper, the chamber’s president, is wagering shops like London’s Harrods and shows like “Cirque du Soleil” will bet on Chicago.

芝加哥也急需新的财政收入。伊曼纽尔先生面临在2012年预算中有5.87亿美元的赤字。芝加哥地区的商会（它的控制范围覆盖这座城市和内地贸易区）认为一座大的芝加哥赌场会给该州带来6.5亿美元的赌博营收，同时也能制造2500个固定的赌场就业职位和1500个临时的建筑工作。这也会创造高于1.3亿美元的非赌博税收。商会主席Gerald Roper 正在计划建设像伦敦的哈罗斯百货商店一样的赌场，以吸引像太阳马戏团一样的顾客光顾芝加哥赌场。

The chamber, along with the city’s convention and tourism board, wants the casino to be located downtown. The old Congress Hotel across from Millennium Park is rumoured to be a possible location, but Mr Emanuel keeps his cards close to his chest. Another whispered location is Block 37, a newish building across the street from Daley Plaza.

工会连同市会和旅游局要求赌场坐落在商业区。有传闻说赌场的选址可能定在千禧公园对面的旧国会宾馆。但伊曼纽尔先生守口如瓶，未曾透露有关消息。另一个猜测可能是37号街的一座新建筑，它与戴利广场隔街相对。

City Hall is unlikely to run “The House”; it will farm out the operation to people rather more experienced at this kind of thing. The regulatory cost and the potential for corruption worries the Reverend Phil Blackwell, of the Taskforce to Oppose Gambling in Chicago. “The city should serve and protect, not be a dealer,” he says. William Thompson, of the University of Nevada in Las Vegas, says gambling will help the city’s overall pot, but not necessarily the economy: “It could shift the spending from local attractions to the casino.”

市政厅不太可能去经营这赌场。它会把经营权转让给在这方面更有经验的人。芝加哥反对赌博特别工作组的成员，菲尔布莱克威尔牧师对监督成本和潜在的腐败表示担忧。他说：“这座城市的职责是保护和服务市民，而扮演不是商人的角色。“位于拉斯维加斯的内华达州大学的汤普森威廉说，赌博能够对城市的财政有所帮助，但对经济而言，起不了什么作用。”它能把花费从本地的旅游业转移到赌场。“

Revenues at the nine existing casinos in the south of Illinois are down by 32% over the last three years, according to the Illinois Casino Gaming Association. The new casinos could hurt what the association sees as an already saturated industry. As much as Mr Emanuel hopes for a jackpot, gambling is never a safe bet.

伊利诺斯州南部现有九间赌场。伊利诺伊赌场博彩协会表示，在过去的三年，来自这九间赌场的税收已经下降了32%。新增加的赌场会对这一协会认为已经饱和的行业带来伤害。伊曼纽尔先生也同样希望能有积累奖金，因为赌博永远都不可能稳赢。