Illinois Casinos Face Questions Over Mob-Connected Contractors

Three big casinos in Illinois have faced questions over the years about working with companies that people say have ties to organized crime. Now, Bally’s Casino Chicago is the latest to deal with these concerns, as regulators look into its connection to a contractor tied to mob activity. The Illinois Gaming Board has not said yet if it will punish Bally’s. The board, whose leaders the governor picks, said they are still looking into the case.

Illinois Gaming Board Cracks Down on Casinos Hiring Contractors with Mob Allegations

This development comes after earlier big incidents involving Illinois casinos. In 2003, the Grand Victoria Casino in Elgin had to pay a huge $3.2 million fine for doing business with a company that regulators claimed had ties to organized crime. At that time, Governor JB Pritzker and his family members were investors in the casino, though Pritzker no longer owns a part of the property.

In a similar case, Rivers Casino in Des Plaines got hit with a $1.65 million fine in 2016 after it hired a firm connected to people who were thought to have mob links. These two cases are among the biggest penalties the Illinois Gaming Board has given out in recent years.

The current dispute began when a Chicago Sun-Times journalist noticed dumpsters from D&P Construction Co. Inc. at the River West location where Bally’s is constructing its permanent casino. The FBI had earlier flagged D&P Construction to have alleged ties to the DiFronzo family, a name long linked to organized crime in the Chicago area.

Bally’s Casino Faces Investigation After Hiring Contractor Without Approval

After being alerted, the gaming board stopped construction at the site, and workers removed the dumpsters. Officials later said that D&P Construction did not have authorization to work on the project. Investigators are still looking into whether this breach happened by accident or on purpose.

Illinois gambling laws ban licensees from working with individuals or companies that have a shady reputation or criminal connections. Possible punishments range from fines to losing their license.

History shows that big consequences can happen. For example, Grand Victoria got hit with a $7.2 million fine back in 2001. The reason behind it was that they made deals with contractors who had mob connections.Rivers Casino, one of Illinois’ top-earning casinos, has been in hot water before for similar stuff. However, even with these problems, casinos in Illinois still rake in the cash. Rivers Casino led the pack through May this year, bringing in over $209 million in adjusted gross receipts. Bally’s Chicago was not far behind with over $52 million.