Empress Casino Could Lose Millions Weekly

The fire-damaged Empress Casino said late Monday that it would pay workers their full salary and benefits for 90 days, and it hopes to be back up and running before that time is up.

But it's clear that Empress is losing hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue each day it remains closed.

Illinois Gaming Board reports show the casino made $184 million in gambling revenue last year. That's around $500,000 a day.

The taxman is missing out, too.

The state pulled in around $52 million in taxes from the Empress last year, or around $145,000 a day. And the city of Joliet collected nearly $11 million, or about $30,000 a day.

Friday's fire started in a pavilion area. The main part of the Egyptian-themed gambling barge saw only minor damage.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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