Illinois Gaming Board Postpones Waukegan Casino License Decision Amid Potawatomi Claiming Process Was “Rigged”

Administrator Marcus Fruchter announced at the board meeting on Thursday that the Illinois Gaming Board ( IGB ) will postpone its decision regarding the applicant for a Waukegan casino license indefinitely.

The IGB was originally set to make a decision — and preliminary suitability finding — at the meeting. But now, Potawatomi Hotel and Casinois claiming the city’s process was “rigged.” At a Wednesday hearing, Potawatomi asked a Cook County judge to block an IGB decision.

Fruchter stated that the IGB may refrain from selecting a winning bid out of appreciation for the judicial process. He didn’t provide a timeline for making his choice.

Potawatomi claims that Waukegan town officials, including former president Sam Cunningham, steered the election process in Michael Bond‘s favour.

Bond is in charge of the North Point Casino initiative. The various remaining buyer is Full House Resorts.

The south suburban casino license process is still on track for a decision within the next few months. But these revelations throw a serious wrench into Waukegan’s timeline.

Let & rsquo, let’s delve even deeper into Potawatomi and the claims.

Why Potawatomi thinks the Waukegan game system was rigged

In the end, Waukegan representatives made three requests for the IGB to acquire. They came from Churchill Downs, Full House, and North Point. Potawatomi was not given to express game regulators by the city.

North Point and Full House were left out of Churchill Downs’ Waukegan game software, which was just withdrawn.

Potawatomi uses sworn evidence provided by 6th Ward Ald. Turner, Keith According to The Patch, he claimed Cunningham told him:

These are the three that we want to send to Springfield, & ldquo. Right. And that was the outcome of the vote. Right. Place those three it. & rdquo,

Waukegan, according to Potawatomi, also broke the state & rsquo’s gaming expansion law and the Illinois Open Meetings Act.

Cunningham and Bond have a long history together. Bond donated more than$ 50,000 to Cunningham during the former & rsquo’s 2017 mayoral campaign.

Additionally, Potawatomi & rsquo’s attorneys claimed:

Based on Bond & rsquo’s campaign generosity and close ties to Cunningham, North Point did indeed have the inside track. However, given the public’s attention of the Bond link, the City moreover favored Full House as a relatively weak rival that could accurately portray partiality toward North Point. This conclusion cannot be refuted by the choice of Rivers, which punched its unique solution by providing damaging information through the Waukegan Gaming dispute. As a result, Cunningham & rsquo gave the Illinois Gaming Board the order to send Potawatomi, Full House, and North Point to the Board. & rdquo,

Cunningham did not adequately disclose his communication with Bond to the IGB, according to Potawatomi & rsquo’s lawsuit.

On November 30, Waukegan and Potawatomi prosecutors will convene for a arrangement event, but the outcome is still up in the air.

When might this be resolved?

We don’t realize, is the shortest response.

It largely depends on the IGB’s decision to go with Full House or North Point. The procedure might be significantly delayed if North Point was chosen.

Based on the content and, there is reason to believe, the IGB may have chosen North Point. Date of Potawatomi & rsquo’s legal action. With that said, we are unsure and cannot be sure.

The IGB generally doesn’t move quickly, so these accusations could completely veer the proceedings off course. In other words, Waukegan residents might have to wait a very, very long time for their game.