When it comes to Illinois gambling, you can thank state lawmakers that many corner taverns and fraternal organizations throughout the state have video gambling machines. But Fairmount Park won’t have those moneymakers — although all other racetracks in Illinois will — if either version of state Rep. Bob Rita’s gambling expansion bill gets approved. What, that doesn’t seem fair? Rita isn’t interested in fair. He’s interested in getting a casino for Chicago. And he has decided that a bill will have a better chance of passage without video gambling at Fairmount Park than with it. You see, East St. Louis…

10TV – The lists of people banning themselves from Ohio’s casinos and racinos have grown as the state’s gambling industry expands. The Plain Dealer in Cleveland (http://bit.ly/1p4DjUY ) reports nearly 750 gamblers from 11 states and Ontario excluded themselves from Ohio’s four casinos by last month through a voluntary program. That’s up from less than 550 in September. A similar program exists for the racinos, which feature horse racing tracks with slots-style video lottery terminals. About 80 people banned themselves from those facilities by September, when two racinos were open. Now four are open, and the list has nearly doubled….

Cincinnati.com – About 35 legislators attended a news conference Monday aimed at giving the casino issue a boost in the final days of the 2014 session, but seconds after it was over House Speaker Greg Stumbo said the issue still is effectively dead this year. “I’m just saying what members are saying,” said Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg. “What we’re running into as we count votes is they know that the Senate’s not going to act.” The expanded gambling issue remains locked in a stalemate between the Democratic-majority House and Republican-majority Senate, with both chambers’ leaders saying the other needs to act first….

The World Lottery Association (WLA) has cited “strong performances” from the Asia Pacific and Latin American regions as the main reason for an increase in full-year global lottery sales during the 12 month through to December 31, 2013. The association said that global lottery sales were up 4.9% in 2013, which follows on from full-year growth of 7.7% in the previous year. The Latin American market proved to be the most successful market with an aggregate year-on-year increase in sales of 21.4%. Argentina’s Lotería Nacional Sociedad del Estado was the main driver behind this growth after it experienced a 31.4%…

CBS Local – A month after instant “scratch-off” Minnesota Lottery ticket sales went live on the Internet, the pioneering venture faces a high-powered threat at the Capitol. The Senate leaders of both parties and tax committee heads in both chambers are seeking a one-sentence change in state law to permanently turn off the new portal for gambling. Among other issues, lawmakers are upset that lottery officials introduced the games without seeking their approval through explicit legislation allowing it. A bill forcing the change gets an initial committee hearing next week, and Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk predicted there are sufficient…

Norfolk Daily News – Ho-Chunk Inc., the economic development division of the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, is seeking to intervene in a high-stakes legal fight over casino gambling in Sioux City. Ho-Chunk filed requests Friday to intervene in a lawsuit brought by owners of the Argosy riverboat casino in Sioux City. The lawsuit by Argosy parent company, Penn National Gaming Co., is challenging the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission’s decision last year to award a casino license to the owners of the Hard Rock casino, which is being built in downtown Sioux City. The Hard Rock proposal beat out bids…