The city of Des Plaines is planning for the likelihood of being forced to dip into its $19 million reserve fund to keep local government working as the coronavirus crisis continues to send consumers to the hospital and to take lives.

For the last nine years, Des Plaines has been one of 10 communities throughout Illinois that have generated a steady flow of dollars to its coffers by serving as the host community for a casino. Every year Rivers Casino in Des Plaines generates the most income of any casino in the state leaving Des Plaines with approximately $9 million in new income every year.

That money, which flows to the city every month as well as a tax on admissions every quarter will not rev up again until Rivers re-opens. It’s been closed for more than three weeks. One month of income to the city through its share of host community taxes and on admissions amounts to about $750,000.