CHICAGO – State Senator Robert Martwick (D-Chicago) celebrated the new law enabling a Chicago casino, because millions in taxes collected from the casino will be used to bolster the city’s police and fire pension funds.

“The city’s retired firefighters and police have earned their retirements and paid their fair share,” Martwick said. “The casino will help ensure the city can keep its promises to these public servants.”

Senate Bill 516 makes various changes to the state’s gaming laws and will enable Chicago to open its long-sought casino. When fully operational, the casino is expected to provide more than $200 million dollars a year to Chicago’s police and fire pension funds. The taxes collected by the city on all slot machines and table games in the new casino will go exclusively to Chicago’s police and fire pensions.

Martwick traveled to Springfield during the brief legislative session, in spite of major health concerns, in part to help ensure that the casino legislation passed.

“This casino is vital to our regional economy,” Martwick said. “Chicago is already a tourist hub, but a casino will create even more reason for people from neighboring states and from across the world to visit. It will also create hundreds of jobs, another boost for the city and its people.”

The measure passed both the Senate and House with comfortable, bipartisan majorities and takes effect immediately.