(MCT) SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Gov. Pat Quinn chastised lawmakers for failing to pass cost-cutting changes to the government worker retirement system, then dangled the possibility that he'd drop his long-running opposition to a major gambling expansion to get a pension deal done.

The prospect of signing off on a casino for Chicago and four other cities is a new wrinkle for the governor, who has failed for more than a year to win pension reforms and faces a potentially tough re-election next year. But the notion of a grand bargain on pensions and gambling was greeted cautiously by lawmakers who have watched Quinn veto two gambling bills, including one on Monday.