Placing a legal bet in Illinois once required a trip to a racetrack. Then riverboat casinos set sail and eventually made landfall, followed by an ever-growing wave of slot machines installed at bars and restaurants statewide. Now, the advent of mobile sports betting means gamblers can get in on the action anywhere there’s a cell signal. And soon, the full gamut of casino games could be just a phone tap away, too, as lawmakers consider crossing the final frontier of legalized gambling in a state already teeming with temptations. Gaming interests are expected to make a full-court press next year in Springfield to legalize internet casino gambling, known in industry parlance as iGaming, that would bring state-regulated slots, blackjack, poker and more to the palm of your hand. It’s not the first time gaming industry players have pushed to expand Illinois’ sprawling menu of gambling options. Nor is it the first time they’ve faced stiff pushback from business owners who rely on video gaming terminals to draw customers through their doors — or from opponents who warn of a surge in addiction to what some have branded “gambling fentanyl.” But internet gambling could have better odds of advancing in the upcoming legislative session as Gov. JB Pritzker and statehouse leaders scramble for new money to help cover an estimated $3 billion budget shortfall. “In a tough budget year, you’re looking at ways to increase revenue. This is one tool for that,” said state Sen. Cristina Castro, an Elgin Democrat who has introduced iGaming bills that previously fell short. “And it’s something that could be more palatable to constituents.” Proponents estimate the state would rake in $450 million in new tax revenue within a year of allowing Illinoisans to play casino games on their mobile devices, eventually generating up to $800 million a year. Opponents argue it would be a zero-sum game for a state that has more places to bet than Nevada does, when counting Illinois’ 16 casinos, two racetracks and 8,660-and-counting bars, restaurants, gas stations and VFW halls authorized to operate video gaming machines. “When you start letting people play from home, do you think they’re going to go to those places and spend money?” said state Rep. John Cabello, R-Machesney Park. “It’s cutting off the nose and spiting the face.” Potential tax jackpots Illinois government relied on a record-high $2.1 billion in gaming tax revenue in the fiscal year ending in June, including $158 million from casinos, $190 million from sports betting, $848 million from video gaming and $886 million from the lottery, according to the state Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability. Seven other states that have authorized internet gambling in recent years have seen significant tax windfalls — and surging interest from gamblers. New Jersey casinos reported a record $214 million in gross revenue from internet gambling in November, generating about $32 million in state taxes. Pennsylvania, which taxes iGaming at a higher rate, pulled in almost $86 million in taxes on $200 million in revenue. Gov. Pritzker called the idea “worthy of consideration” for Illinois. His office is drafting its yearly budget proposal, which he’ll present in February and negotiate with lawmakers for passage by the end of May. Pritzker’s administration has overseen a massive gambling expansion that added six new casinos, expanded video gaming and ushered in the sports betting industry — which the governor and state lawmakers slapped with hefty tax hikes last year. Lobbyists for major gambling companies like DraftKings and FanDuel banded together as the Sports Betting Alliance to fight the new graduated tax system before it was passed, threatening to leave the state due to the cut into their profits. But they’re back this time around to push for internet gambling, which the companies offer on their platforms in other states in addition to sports betting. Cannibalizing concerns The ubiquity of casino games could go live within a few months of potential legislative passage in Illinois, with licenses likely tied to partnerships with brick-and-mortar casinos, according to Sports Betting Alliance president Jeremy Kudon. That’s how the state handles sports betting licenses. “All of this iGaming already exists in Illinois,” Kudon said, pointing to illegal online casinos that have long operated offshore. “All we’re trying to do is legalize, regulate and tax it.” He rejected the idea that internet gambling would cannibalize dollars from other corners of Illinois’ saturated gaming market. “People who play online blackjack are not the same people going to bars and restaurants and casinos to play. Those have a certain social appeal and physical element that brings people in,” Kudon said. The companies say they’ve found that internet gamblers tend to be younger than casino or video gaming customers, with demographics skewing toward women with higher salaries who wager no more than $15 per session. “Something entirely on your phone attracts a different customer. It’s almost like mindless entertainment, or meditation. You’re present in this moment, not thinking about anything else,” Kudon said. “For me, it’s more of a relief than Netflix.” Castro agreed, saying “there is enough business to go around. We should do everything we can to shut down the illegal market.” But bar and restaurant owners are worried it would cut into their clientele who are often drawn in by video gaming. Keith Wetherell, executive director of the Illinois Licensed Beverage Association, estimates some businesses could see their revenue drop by 40% if customers have the option to gamble on their couch instead. “It lowers foot traffic in our establishments. That would be devastating to smaller bars and liquor license holders. A good portion of them wouldn’t survive,” Wetherell said. “A lot of these are Mom-and-Pop shops. Gaming helps subsidize health insurance options and keeps people employed. They wouldn’t be able to shoulder that big of a loss.” Those losses would hit local governments that split video gaming revenue at the benefit of large out-of-state gambling corporations, Wetherell said. “Their software isn’t in Illinois. This is a whole lot of money leaving the Illinois economy,” he said. More money would be made if Chicago were to adopt video gaming, Wetherell argued, an idea that Mayor Brandon Johnson has supported but hasn’t pushed to implement. State law allows municipalities to opt out of it. Cabello, the Republican state lawmaker, called it “absolutely, positively stupid” that Chicago bars and restaurants are missing out on video gaming revenue — a windfall the state could use, too. “How stupid can any elected official be, to know that your budget is ballooning out of control, and you don’t allow gaming in your city?” Cabello said, adding that he’d push for legislation requiring Chicago and other Cook County municipalities to allow video gaming. Kudon suggested the iGaming lobby would be open to potentially licensing some video gaming operators to cut them into the action — but Wetherell said he hasn’t seen “any mechanism that would make the system equitable.” ‘Gambling fentanyl’ Other opponents are urging lawmakers to look past the massive dollar signs being flashed by the internet gambling industry and to consider the social costs. “This literally is the equivalent of gambling fentanyl,” said Les Bernal, national director of the Stop Predatory Gambling advocacy group.”This is putting gambling fentanyl on every smartphone, in every living room, every dorm room, every office in the state of Illinois that has an internet connection.” A study commissioned by the state in 2021 found that 3.8% of adults in Illinois, or about 383,000 people, have a gambling problem, with additional 7.7% — about 761,000 people — potentially at risk for developing a problem. Since Pritzker authorized Illinois’ 2019 gaming expansion, he’s set aside additional money in state budgets for gambling addiction treatment programs . Internet gambling supporters also note their technology allows customers to set time and wager limits. None of that makes up for an inevitable rise in an addiction disorder that is closely linked to suicide, Bernal said. “The idea that you have this incredibly dangerous and addictive product, and you’re going to have state officials welcoming it when Illinois has already got as much predatory gambling as any state in America — it’s a threat to public health,” Bernal said. “There’s no grassroots movement for any of this. It’s being driven by very powerful gambling interests with the help of a handful of officials in both parties.” The new General Assembly will be inaugurated Jan. 8. Castro, the Elgin state senator who has supported internet gambling, said she expects extended talks on potential legislation through May.Future robots might be able to detect how you're feeling just by touching your skin. In a new study, scientists used skin conductance — a measure of how well skin conducts electricity — to assess the emotions of 33 participants who were shown emotionally evocative videos. Because skin conductance changes when you sweat, they found a correlation between these measurements and videos that elicited feelings of fear, surprise and "family bonding emotions," making skin conductance an accurate method for detecting changes in emotion in real time. When used in conjunction with other physiological signals, like heart rate monitoring and brain activity, skin conductance could play a central role in the development of emotionally intelligent devices and services, the scientists explained in a paper published Oct. 15 in the journal IEEE Access . "To date, few studies have examined how the dynamics of skin conductance responses differ among emotions, despite high responsiveness being a key feature of skin conductance," the scientists said in the study. "The results of this study are expected to contribute to the development of technologies that can be used to accurately estimate emotions, when combined with other physiological signals." Related: Self-healing 'living skin' can make robots more humanlike — and it looks just as creepy as you'd expect Although the study didn't specifically explore integrating the technology with robotics, systems that can respond to human emotions hold several promising applications. These could, hypothetically, include smart devices that play soothing music when you are stressed or streaming platforms that tailor content recommendations to your mood. Sign up for the Live Science daily newsletter now Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox. To be effective, though, these devices must detect and interpret emotions accurately. In the paper, the scientists noted that typical emotion-detection technologies rely on facial recognition and speech analysis. These technologies not only tend to be unreliable — particularly when video and audio signals aren't clear — but also carry inherent privacy concerns , the team said. Skin conductance may offer a solution, according to the study. When humans experience an emotional reaction, their sweat glands activate, which changes their skin's electrical properties. These changes occur within one to three seconds, providing very quick feedback on a person's emotional state. For the study, scientists at Tokyo Metropolitan University attached probes to the fingers of 33 participants and showed them a variety of emotionally charged clips, including horror movie scenes, comedy sketches and family reunion videos. As they watched, the team measured how quickly participants' skin conductance peaked and how long it took to return to normal. The study revealed distinct patterns for different emotions. Fear responses lasted the longest, which the scientists explained was likely an evolutionary trait that keeps humans alert to danger. Family bonding emotions, described as a mix of happiness and sadness, caused slower responses, which they said could have been because the two feelings interfered with each other. — Watch this terrifying robotic torso spring to life — 'This is a marriage of AI and quantum': New technology gives AI the power to feel surfaces for the 1st time — Tesla primed to sell AI-powered humanoid robots alongside its EVs in 2025. But will they be any good? Humor triggered the fastest reactions, but they faded quickly, the study showed. The reason for this wasn't immediately clear, but the scientists noted that "literature on the dynamics of skin conductance caused by funniness and fear" is fairly scant. Although the method isn't perfect, combining skin conductance with other physiological signals — like heart rate, electromyography and brain activity — could improve the accuracy of the technique, the researchers said. "There is a growing demand for techniques to estimate individuals' subjective experiences based on their physiological signals to provide them with emotionally evocative services," the scientists wrote in the study. "Therefore, further exploration of these physiological signals in this study, particularly skin conductance responses, can advance techniques for emotion recognition."
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ESTERO, Fla. (AP) — Daniel Batcho's 19 points helped Louisiana Tech defeat Eastern Kentucky 78-69 on Wednesday. Batcho added eight rebounds for the Bulldogs (7-0). Amaree Abram added 14 points while going 5 of 11 from the floor, including 1 for 3 from 3-point range, and 3 for 3 from the line and also had eight rebounds. Al Green had 12 points and shot 4 of 9 from the field, including 1 for 5 from 3-point range, and went 3 for 4 from the line. The Bulldogs extended their winning streak to seven games. George Kimble III finished with 21 points for the Colonels (4-3). Devontae Blanton added 17 points and five assists for Eastern Kentucky. Jordan Crawford also had nine points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .None
The Trump-Xi bromance has a chance next yearAnd single people are more likely to use mobility tools compared to those who are married, according to researchers from University College London (UCL) and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). Researchers looked at information from a group of more than 12,000 adults in England aged 50 to 89 who were tracked over a 13-year period. At the start of the study, 8,225 adults had no mobility difficulty and did not use mobility assistive products (MAPs). Some 2,480 were deemed to have “unmet need” and 1,375 were using mobility aids. During the follow-up period, there were 2,313 “transitions” where people went from having no mobility issues to needing some help with getting around. And 1,274 people started to use mobility aids. Compared with men, women were 49% more likely to transition from not needing mobility aids to needing to use them, according to the study which has been published in The Lancet Public Health. But were 21% less likely to go on to use mobility aids when they needed them. The authors said their study showed “barriers to access” for women. For both men and women, with every year that passed during the study period the need for mobility aids increased. People who were older, less educated, less wealthy or reported being disabled were more likely to “transition from no need to unmet need, and from unmet need to use”, the authors said, with this indicating a “higher prevalence of mobility limitations and MAP need overall among these groups”. They added: “Finally, marital or partnership status was not associated with transitioning to unmet need; however, single people were more likely to transition from unmet need to use compared with married or partnered people.” Jamie Danemayer, first author of the study from UCL Computer Science and UCL’s Global Disability Innovation Hub, said: “Our analysis suggests that there is a clear gender gap in access to mobility aids. “Though our data didn’t ascertain the reason why participants weren’t using mobility aids, other research tells us that women are often more likely than men to face obstacles such as cost barriers as a result of well-documented income disparities between genders. “Many mobility aids are designed for men rather than women, which we think may be a factor. “Using mobility aids can also make a disability visible, which can impact the safety and stigma experienced by women, in particular. “There’s a critical need for further research to identify and break down the barriers preventing women from accessing mobility aids that would improve their quality of life.” Professor Cathy Holloway, also from UCL, added: “Not having access to mobility aids when a person needs one can have a big impact on their independence, well-being and quality of life. “Our analysis suggests that women, in particular, regardless of other factors such as education and employment status, are not getting the support that they need.” Professor Shereen Hussein, senior author of the study and lead of the social care group at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: “The research provides compelling evidence of gender disparities in accessing assistive technology, suggesting that cost, design bias, and social stigma are likely to disproportionally affect women. “This underscores the need for inclusive, gender-sensitive approaches in the design, production and inclusivity of assistive technologies.”
Nike's Black Friday sale is offering up to 60% off sneakers, including Dunks, Air Max 90s, and Air Jordan 1sManchester United teammates Rasmus Hojlund and Amad Diallo exchanged words after the final whistle of a 2-1 victory on Thursday. And manager Ruben Amorin has no problem with it. “For me, it’s a very, very good sign,” Amorin said after his team beat Viktoria Plzen to stay unbeaten in the Europa League. Hojlund scored two goals and hoped for a centering pass from Diallo to go for a hat trick in the final minutes. The Denmark striker didn't get the pass, though. Viktoria had been pushing forward looking for an equalizer, which created space for United counters. On another break shortly afterward, Hojlund opted to keep the ball. The pair then had a heated post-game exchange. “We need to feel something,” Amorin said. “If we need to fight each other, it's like a family. When you don't care, you don't do nothing. When you care — you fight with your brother, with your mother, your father.” AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
1 person killed in single-vehicle crash near Arnprior, Ont.
IAEA condemns attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure without mentioning Russia as preparatorThe Trump-Xi bromance has a chance next year