# Who is the "Coalition for Responsible Gaming Expansion"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 1, 2015, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-coalition-for-responsible-gaming-expansion/721348 "2015-06-01T15:41:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-coalition-for-responsible-gaming-expansion/721348/1 "2015-06-01T15:41:18Z")
Tons of radio ads recently talking about how a city-owned casino in Chicago is going to lose money for our schoolkids or something. I don’t really understand the reasoning, but at the end of the ad they say it was paid for by “The Coalition for Responsible Gaming Expansion.” I googled, and the [website is disabled](http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CB8QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.responsiblegamingcoalition.org%2F&ei=33xsVfi2OInSsAXQyoCAAw&usg=AFQjCNHqUYeXcG50VDIB-GRV8KY44oU3Eg&bvm=bv.94455598,d.b2w&cad=rja), but [they have a facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/GamingWatchIL) with 610 (that’s right! over 600!) ‘likes.’ That’s not going to pay the bills. Clearly an astroturf operation, but who are they? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-coalition-for-responsible-gaming-expansion/721348/2 "2015-06-01T16:00:46Z")
It took some research, but I figured out what this is all about. It would have been helpful if the OP had discussed some of this so that we all know what the fuck is being discussed, but better late than never I suppose: It seems that Springfield, IL is looking to build a huge casino that is somehow funded or backed by public tax dollars. The rich casino owners don’t want competition from a government-owned casino, preferring to keep things in their little cabal of rich casino owners, so they are opposed to this. The CRGE is their PR/lobbying organization to try and get public support to stop a publicly-funded casino and to keep all the casino money in the pockets of rich casino owners. [ > [@](#): > > The Illinois > Church Action on Alcohol and Addictive Problems tell me, “The Illinois Casino Gaming Association is part of this group. ]([http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2012/12/04/what-is-the-coalition-of-responsible-gambling-and-why-is-it-calling-mchenry-county-residents/](http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2012/12/04/what-is-the-coalition-of-responsible-gambling-and-why-is-it-calling-mchenry-county-residents/)) They don’t appear to be very good at what they’re trying to do; they can’t even get themselves a website without giving out the wrong address or forgetting they own it or whatever. I did find their online petition site, but since I think they’re a bunch of deceitful scumbags, I’m not going to link to it here. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-coalition-for-responsible-gaming-expansion/721348/3 "2015-06-01T16:03:55Z")
According to [this thread](http://www.barntowire.com/smf/index.php?topic=56964.0) on another site, it includes the mayors of Joliet, Elgin & Aurora – three cities that already have casinos and would thus be hurt by a new one in Chicago. Their old website is not accessible via the Internet Wayback Machine. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-coalition-for-responsible-gaming-expansion/721348/4 "2015-06-01T16:06:23Z")
It’d be hilarious if a casino owner-backed group is now claiming that a new (government-financed) casino won’t funnel promised cash into government programs. Casinos promoters have been [grossly](http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/09/01/promises-dont-pan-out.html) [overstating](http://cnsmaryland.org/2012/12/21/in-casino-expansion-revenue-promises-often-fall-short-of-reality/) potential benefits for years. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-coalition-for-responsible-gaming-expansion/721348/5 "2015-06-01T16:28:57Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > The rich casino owners don’t want competition from a government-owned casino, preferring to keep things in their little cabal of rich casino owners, so they are opposed to this. The CRGE is their PR/lobbying organization to try and get public support to stop a publicly-funded casino and to keep all the casino money in the pockets of rich casino owners. A ‘government’ owned casino in one of the most corrupt states in the country? What could go wrong? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-coalition-for-responsible-gaming-expansion/721348/6 "2015-06-01T17:06:06Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > A ‘government’ owned casino in one of the most corrupt states in the country? What could go wrong? :rolleyes: Nothing will “go wrong”; it’ll all go exactly according to the plan. Which plan won’t have much to do with the publicly stated public objectives benefitting the public. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-coalition-for-responsible-gaming-expansion/721348/7 "2015-06-01T17:41:33Z")
They missed a golden opportunity to not call themselves Coalition for Responsible Allowal of Poker and Slots. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2015, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-coalition-for-responsible-gaming-expansion/721348/8 "2015-06-02T02:18:12Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > They missed a golden opportunity to not call themselves Coalition for Responsible Allowal of Poker and Slots. Or the Standing Committee for Unlimited Money. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2015, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-coalition-for-responsible-gaming-expansion/721348/9 "2015-06-02T02:24:01Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > According to [this thread](http://www.barntowire.com/smf/index.php?topic=56964.0) on another site, it includes the mayors of Joliet, Elgin & Aurora – three cities that already have casinos and would thus be hurt by a new one in Chicago. Oh. I figured it was sponsored by the mayors of Hammond, East Chicago, and Gary. My mistake! ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2015, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-coalition-for-responsible-gaming-expansion/721348/10 "2015-06-02T02:55:18Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Oh. I figured it was sponsored by the mayors of Hammond, East Chicago, and Gary. My mistake! No, they support the Coalition for Expanding Gaming Responsibly. They’ve been accused of being “[splitters](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iS-0Az7dgRY)”.