SPRINGFIELD, Ill. • Gov. Pat Quinn didn't tip his hand to key legislators in a private meeting yesterday over the fate of a massive new gambling-expansion bill awaiting his signature, according to one of the meeting participants.

"The governor asked a lot of questions . . . He took a lot of notes. He did a lot of writing," said state Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie, House sponsor of the expansion bill (SB744).

Lang said Quinn asked detailed questions about how the various forms of gambling expansion in the bill would be implemented and what impact they would have, but that he didn't offer much of his own opinions. "It was a good meeting," said Lang, " . . . (but) there was no hint as to what the governor did or didn't want in the bill."

Quinn has, however, dropped hints elsewhere. The Democratic governor told reporters recently he thinks there is too much in the bill, which would add five new casinos in Illinois (including one in Chicago for the first time), allow expansion at existing casinos, and allow the state's horseracing tracks to have slot machines.

The idea would be to reinvigorate the state's horseracing industry and put gaming tax money toward the state's cash-strapped budget.

Quinn has hinted he may use his amendatory veto powers to alter the bill, possibly to keep the Chicago casino in and take the other stuff out. However, that could kill it, since the changes would need approval by the Legislature, which barely passed it the first time.

"This is a very delicately balanced piece of legislation,'' Lang noted.

Quinn's office said in a statement that the two-hour meeting with Lang and other supporters of the bill was "a robust conversation." He said he would follow up by meeting with members of the state Gaming Board and others as part of "an extensive review" of the proposal before deciding whether to sign off on it.

The Legislature will return to Springfield on Wednesday to deal with stalled legislation to fund the state's infrastructure improvement program.