Boyd Gaming, owners of the Par-A-Dice, in favor of 24-hour gaming

<p align="justify">Letting Illinois casinos stay open 24 hours a day would create jobs while boosting tax revenue for the state and the communities that host them, according to the boss at the Par-A-Dice Casino.

<p align="justify">Initially, the Par-A-Dice likely would implement 24-hour gaming only in "limited circumstances," meaning certain weekends and holidays, if the Illinois Gaming Board authorizes all-day gambling. But 24-hour gaming days could become more frequent in the future if economic conditions improve, Par-A-Dice vice president and general manager Chris Corrado wrote in an April 3 letter to the Gaming Board.

<p align="justify">"We support 24-hour gaming," Corrado wrote. "Expanding the hours of gaming will lead to at least three positive results."

<p align="justify">--The Illinois casino operators would be "in a much better position to compete" with bordering states, and a better competitive environment helps Illinois "both in terms of tax revenue and the incentive for capital investment."

<p align="justify">--Illinois and the communities with casinos would receive additional tax revenue.

<p align="justify">--Employment levels would increase, benefiting local communities and the state.

<p align="justify">David Strow, spokesman for Boyd Gaming, which owns the Par-A-Dice, publicly released Corrado's letter on Monday.

<p align="justify">The Gaming Board, which regulates the state's casino industry, has scheduled a special meeting for 10 a.m. Tuesday in Chicago to hear public input on the idea of allowing 24-hour gambling.

<p align="justify">One of the scheduled speakers is Christopher Anderson, who opposes what he calls "nonstop gambling." He favors requiring the casinos to shut their doors for at least a few hours every day.

<p align="justify">"It's really the last barrier that is in place to protect people from gambling beyond their means," said Anderson, an Evanston-based psychotherapist who treats people with gambling addictions.

<p align="justify">If 24-hour gaming gets approved, the state in effect is saying it is interested only in doing whatever it takes to maximize revenue, he said.

<p align="justify">Several years ago, Anderson said, Gov. Rod Blagojevich appointed him as a special consultant to the Gaming Board on the issues of problem and compulsive gambling.

<p align="justify">Meanwhile, newly released figures show Illinois casinos are continuing to rake in less money than they did a year ago - a trend that industry observers blame largely on the statewide ban on indoor smoking that took effect in January. Declining revenues are a key reason why the state's casino industry wants 24-hour gaming.

<p align="justify">Adjusted gross receipts for the nine operating casinos totaled $147,700,000 in March, according to Gaming Board figures. That's nearly a 20 percent drop, compared with the March 2007 total of $184,314,000.

<p align="justify">At the Par-A-Dice, the adjusted gross receipts for March were $10,994,000, which is almost a 12 percent decline from the March 2007 figure of $12,469,000.

<p align="justify">Adriana Colindres can be reached at (217) 782-6292 or adriana.colindres@sj-r.com.