MICHIGAN CITY - Local officials agree a new casino in Chicago will only have a minimal effect on local riverboats.

A gambling bill in Illinois promising a casino to Chicago has been approved by lawmakers and is under consideration by Gov. Pat Quinn.

While a good amount of tourists from the Chicago area visit Michigan City and New Buffalo, Mich., with Blue Chip and Four Winds casinos as their main destination, local officials expect the casino lure to the area to remain.

Riverboat funding from Blue Chip has been vital in certain Michigan City development projects since 1997.

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“It may affect a little, but not a whole lot,” said John Regetz, Michigan City Economic Development Corp. director. “From what I’ve heard, Chicago is not the primary market for the Blue Chip. Boyd Gaming (which owns Blue Chip) has been able to react by improving services and diversifying their operations.”

Mayor Chuck Oberlie pointed out that four casinos have opened in recent years in Michigan, much closer to Blue Chip.

“A Chicago casino may hold back some of the day travelers,” he said, “but they (area casinos) have always been able to compete.”

Regetz agreed, figuring that much of the Chicago casino traffic “stops at the riverboats to our west.”

Some Riverboat funding pays for certain economic development projects.

“The funds are important to the community,” Regetz said. “They provide funding for a variety of purposes and other services and projects.”

New Buffalo Mayor Rusty Geisler said the new Chicago casino “at first may take some business away” from Four Winds, but he “does not think it is going to be a big change.

“The Four Winds revenue has been pretty stable since it opened in 2007.”

Geisler said about $12 million a year goes to the community from the casino.

Two percent of casino winnings goes to the Local Revenue Sharing Board to fund public safety projects and those directly related to the casino. The Pokagon Fund, which is equivalent to about 1 percent of the revenue, goes to fund arts and culture in the area.

“The LRSB and the Pokagon Fund have been a great benefit,” Geisler said. “They have helped update our parks and opened up the harbor for us this year. It always helps us do things that may not have been done otherwise.”

Geisler does not expect that to change.

“People travel to different casinos for various reasons,” he said. “But in the end, it is going to work out. The real draw here is Harbor Country.”
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