After Year’s Wait, No New Illinois Casino Licenses Handed Out At Special IGB Meeting

Written By Joe Boozell on October 29, 2020 – Last Updated on November 9, 2020

The deadline for issuing four new Illinois casino licenses on October 28, 2020 has come and gone. None of the licenses were handed out at the special Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) meeting held on Thursday.

Alternatively, eight entrants have the ability to alter the details of their passport applications. These entrants include:

Rivers Waukegan Casino, operated by CDI-RSG Waukegan, LLC under the Waukegan License
American Place (Waukegan License) by Full House Resorts, Inc.
Lakeside Casino, LLC operates as North Point Casino under the Waukegan License.
Southland LIVE, LLC, doing business as South Suburban License.
Registration for South Suburban Development, LLC
Bluff Casino Resort, LLC is licensed in Williamson County, Walker.
License for South Suburban area granted to Wind Creek, LLC

A license in Danville can still be obtained, however, Haven Gaming decided to withdraw its application in July. The Wilmot family holds the main interest in the license, but they have yet to submit their documents to the IGB.

According to the law, the IGB must review game applications within a certain timeframe. If the IGB cannot meet this deadline, they can choose to hold a special public meeting or request a written extension.

Marcus Fruchter, the superintendent of the IGB, announced on October 27 that the board had written to explain the delay in selecting pending candidates.

Additionally, he stated that candidates hailing from Rockford, Williamson County, Waukegan, and South Suburban can anticipate a decision within six months, with a revised deadline now scheduled for the end of April 2021.

The 2019 Illinois Gambling Act authorized the construction of six new casinos in Illinois. However, the progress on the sixth casino, which is planned to be located in Chicago, is lagging behind the others.

Casino candidates are growing increasingly frustrated before the IGB conference.

Before the special meeting, there were many complaints about candidates and dissatisfaction with the complicated process.

State Rep. Anthony DeLuca, D-Chicago Heights, and Kristi DeLaurentiis, the executive director of the South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association, wrote a letter to the IGB in August urging them to speed up the process.

DeLuca and DeLaurentiis stated, “We want to remind you that the license for this southern residence is long overdue. Delaying a decision is essentially refusing to make a choice.” They suggested that using the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse is not acceptable. They also noted, “The deadline for compliance is near. The fate of nearly a million people rests in your hands.”

At the September board meeting, Fruchter once more shifted blame onto the applicants by stating:

Failure to promptly and fully respond to requests from the board by applicants and current licensees only adds to the workload of the staff. Non-compliant individuals make it harder for others who are in compliance with providing timely and accurate information.