Casino proposals, such as the ones in Calumet City, Harvey and Country Club Hills, bring promises of jobs, revenue and lower taxes.
But the reality isn't the same as the hype, said Jerry Prosapio, co-founder of Gambling Exposed and a board member of South Suburban Coalition Against Gambling Expansion. Casinos can harm local businesses and cost communities, he said.
"This is not going to bring what they say it's going to in the area," Prosapio said. "If anything, it will bring the ABCs -- addiction, bankruptcy and crime."
The coalition is hosting an informational town hall meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday at Hazel Crest Community Church of God at 3313 Hazel Lane. Speakers will talk about the social costs that come with casinos and statistics, and help people learn what they can do to influence whether a casino comes to their community, Prosapio said.
Prosapio was compulsively addicted to gambling 25 years ago, he said. In 1982, he took out a Mafia loan, lied to his wife about being on a business trip and lost all his money in Las Vegas, he said.
"I got a home visit by this fellow asking to see my then-infant son," he said. "It was my bottom. He asked if he could leave a message for me when my wife talked to me next. It was to say my son had a beautifully shaped head."
Prosapio joined a 12-step program and regained his freedom, he said. He also went bankrupt. One thing he noticed in meetings was how the elderly can fall victim later in life.
"I've seen them go through their life savings in six months -- everything they worked for their whole lives," he said. "It's devastating."
People should write to the Illinois Gaming Commission voicing their opposition, Prosapio said.
Calumet City, Country Club Hills, Harvey, Rosemont, Waukegan, Stickney and Des Plaines all are vying for the state's 10th gaming license.
1893 Entertainment Group's proposal in Calumet City includes the Columbian Exposition Casino & Entertainment Complex, a multiuse entertainment development next to Torrence Avenue and the Little Calumet River. It has proposed a 100,000-square-foot casino that officials expect to create about 1,600 jobs and generate annual revenues approaching $325 million.
The project is designed to promote economic development, will generate good-paying jobs and will give local businesses vendor opportunities, Jerrold Carrington, a member of 1893 Entertainment Group, said. It also will boost construction firms and subcontractors with ongoing phases of development, he said. Casinos do not necessarily bring greater crime, Carrington said. Jobs, educational opportunities and programs go a long way to help, he said.
Casino revenues "are going to be provided to improve and add more police and other public services," he said, adding that they also intend to contribute to programs to help people with gaming and other addictions. "It's a very important aspect of our program."
