Bidding begins Monday in Chicago for Illinois' one remaining riverboat casino license.

At least five Chicago-area communities, each backed by major gambling companies, are expected to bid on the tenth license, which currently belongs to the bankrupt Emerald Casino Incorporated.

William Thompson, a gambling expert at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, has predicted that the companies will probably be bidding in the range of $200 million to $300 million.

The communities expected to place bids are Waukegan, Des Plaines, Summit, Country Club Hills and Rosemont.