The Grand Victoria casino is marking its first ten years in Elgin, Illinois, and the Chicago Daily Herald is running a series of articles this week, starting with this one which talks about the transformation the casino has brought to Elgin:
Downtown Elgin and the city as a whole saw their misfortunes reverse after the Grand Victoria took its first cruise up and down the Fox River on Oct. 6, 1994.
Elgin had beat out West Dundee, Antioch Township and Moline to win the state’s coveted 10th casino license in 1993, and many predicted it would be the success that could bring in enough money to re-energize the city.
During the lavish casino’s invitation-only opening night, more than 1,000 people tried their luck at the slots, the roulette wheels and the blackjack tables. Some praised it as “classy” and “elegant” – and in stark contrast to the dilapidated downtown where it docked.
The casino quickly built popularity and within months became the most profitable of nine now in Illinois, with its 1,200 gaming positions attracting 2.7 million people in 2003 alone. Over its 10-year run, the casino has seen its admission top 32 million and its revenues exceed $2.8 billion.
Here are a few of the other stories:
Crime wave? Hasn’t happened
The story seemed unlikely to Elgin police: A gambler locked in the trunk of his car outside the Grand Victoria Casino by robbers who stole his winnings.Gambling addictions worsen closer to casinos, experts say
Two miles from the bright lights, rolling dice and clatter of slot fortunes at the Grand Victoria Casino, Frank Gotthard sits in his quiet, white-walled Elgin office – and waits. For the dice to turn cold.
This series is a great case study of the positives and negatives of casino expansion, and I highly recommend it.