IGB Meeting Update: July 2022

Every month, the Illinois Gaming Board (“IGB”) meets to discuss any changes in the Illinois gaming market and issue licensing and disciplinary decisions. What follows is a repost of the notes by our friends at Fox Rothschild in their “At Stake” Newsletter. You can also find official IGB meeting minutes on the IGB website. The minutes of each IGB meeting are typically posted following the next scheduled meeting of the Board.

The Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) held its hybrid monthly meeting on Thursday, July 28, 2022. IGB board members were physically present at the meeting, while few were in the audience. Board members present included Chairman Schmadeke, Member Hayden, Member Bell and Member Garcia.

The meeting began with the approval of the Regular Board Meeting Minutes from June 16, 2022. There were no comments from Board Members and the Administrator spoke only briefly to state that he would not be providing the monthly revenue reports but that the information can be found on the IGB’s website. The links are below for your convenience:

• Casino - Illinois Gaming Board - Casino Monthly Reports
• Video Gaming - Illinois Gaming Board - Video Gaming Monthly Revenue Reports
• Sports Wager - Illinois Gaming Board - Sports Wagering Monthly Reports

The meeting continued with the Administrator commenting only briefly to discuss proposed amendments to Section 1800 – Video Gaming Sales Agents. The December 2021 legislation regarding licensure of Sales Agents has gone into effect. The proposed amendments to the Rules will outline the specific duties for sales agents, the licensure of sales agents prior to solicitation of a use agreement, issuance of temporary IDs for sales agents, economic disassociation (including final payouts) from a sales agent and clarification of Rule 570 (license renewals) and Rule 210 (general duties of licensees).

You may remember from last month’s meeting that the agenda item, Consideration and Review of Closed Session Minutes for Dissemination, was tabled for consideration. It was not on the agenda for this month’s meeting, so this item is still outstanding.

Casino

The Casino portion of the meeting began with the presentation of and approval of HC Joliet, LLC d/b/a Hollywood Casino Joliet’s request for consideration of owner’s license renewal.

Next, the meeting continued with the approval of the Level 1 occupational licenses of the following individuals:

• Alevtina Panasyuk for her role as Internal Auditor for Casino Queen, Inc. d/b/a DraftKings at Casino Queen
• Gregory Demarco for his role as Director of Property Operations for HC Joliet, LLC d/b/a Hollywood Casino Joliet
• Harry Cochran for his role as Sportsbook Manager for Par-A-Dice Gaming Corporation d/b/a Par-A-Dice Hotel Casino
• Jeffery Rozell Jr. for his role as Director of Compliance for HC Aurora, LLC d/b/a Hollywood Casino and HC Joliet, LLC d/b/a Hollywood Casino Joliet 
• Michael Lee Thoma for his role as Vice President/General Manager for Alton Casino, LLC d/b/a Argosy Casino Alton
• Paul French for his role as Vice President of Slots for Midwest Gaming & Entertainment, LLC d/b/a Rivers Casino-Des Plaines.

The Board next approved 67 Level 2 occupational licenses and 80 Level 3 occupational licenses. The Board also issued one notice of denial.

Next, the Administrator issued renewals to those occupational licensees that were up for renewal and had provided updated information, timely paid their renewal fees and complied with all other requirements. The Administrator also renewed the casino supplier license of Casinomoney, Inc.  

Sports Wagering

The brief Sports Wagering section of the meeting began with the approval of the following Level 1 occupational licensees:

• Alevtina Panasyuk for her role as Internal Auditor for Casino Queen, Inc. d/b/a DraftKings at Casino Queen
• Gregory Demarco for his role as Director of Property Operations for HC Joliet, LLC d/b/a Hollywood Casino Joliet
• Harry Cochran for his role as Sportsbook Manager for Par-A-Dice Gaming Corporation d/b/a Par-A-Dice Hotel Casino
• Jeffery Rozell Jr. as Director of Compliance for HC Aurora, LLC d/b/a Hollywood Casino and HC Joliet, LLC d/b/a Hollywood Casino Joliet
• Michael Lee Thoma as Vice President/General Manager for Alton Casino, LLC
• Paul French as Vice President of Slots for Midwest Gaming & Entertainment, LLC d/b/a Rivers Casino-Des Plaines.

The Administrator approved 149 Level 2 and Level 3 occupational licensees and issued one notice of denial. The Board next granted renewals to the Level 1 2, and 3 licensees that were up for renewal, had provided updated information to the IGB, timely paid their renewal fees, and complied with all other requirements.

Video Gaming

The Administrator began the Video Gaming session, as he has the past meetings, by reiterating that the licenses for establishments, handlers and technicians now have a term of two (2) years, while suppliers, distributors, manufacturers, and terminal operator licenses now have a term of four (4) years and that, although new license terms would begin today, annual fees are still due. He also reminded licensees that, due to technical difficulties including auto-generated notices and programming and system enhancements, licensees may receive letters or notices with one-year expiration dates, adding that IGB will be providing updates on the Sci Games portal and to please make notes of any discrepancies.

Following his comments, the Administrator renewed the respective manufacturer, distributor, supplier, or terminal operator licenses of the following entities for a period of four (4) years:

• CountR GmbH
• M3 Technology Solutions, LLC
• DK Gaming LLC
• G.F.M. Gaming, LLC
• Illinois Gaming and Coin-Op LLC
• Maya Gaming LLC
• Pocket Aces Gaming Inc.

The Administrator also renewed the terminal handler, technician and location licensees which were up for renewal and had provided updated information to the IGB, timely paid their renewal fees, and complied with all other requirements.

The meeting continued with initial licenses being issued to 13 terminal handlers and 119 video gaming locations. The Board also voted to rescind the seven previously issued denials of  101 South Commercial, LLC d/b/a Kay’s Place and either grant licensure or permit the location to re-apply as appropriate.

The Board also issued notices of non-renewals to two terminal handlers and two locations, Martin & Bayley, Inc. d/b/a Huck’s #379 and Capone’s, Inc. d/b/a Capone’s.

The Board next denied the applications of one handler/technician and the following nine locations, including four for statutory ineligibility:

• 1011 Restaurant & Tapas  Inc. d/b/a 1011 Restaurant & Tapas
• Gold Rush Entertainment LLC d/b/a The Gold Rush
• MJFO Company 2, LLC d/b/a Patsy’s
• Moonlight Bay Marina, LLC d/b/a Moonlight Bay Marina LLC
• The Food Dude Catering & Food Truck Company
• Big Al’s Hideout Bar & Grill LLC d/b/a Big Al’s Hideout Bar & Grill LLC
• Diane K Miller Inc. d/b/a Trust Me Tavern
• Grandview Gaming Inc. d/b/a Grandview Gaming
• Fatkids Bar & Grill LLC d/b/a Fatkids Bar & Grill

The Board also denied one “group” of locations. The Group consists of the following six establishment applicants:

• Jackpots Hometown LLC d/b/a Jackpots
• Gelly Wine Bar LLC d/b/a Gelly Wine Bar
• Kandila Café, inc. d/b/a 4 Acres Cafe
• Southwest Gaming Cage Inc. d/b/a Patty’s Cafe
• Lorena’s Luck Inc. d/b/a Lorena’s Luck Inc.
• Blue Tone Sports Slots Lounge, Inc. d/b/a Blue Tone Sports Slots Lounge Inc.

These locations were treated as a group because all the locations are located within Hometown Plaza. As you may remember, Hometown Plaza was the subject of the “casino mall” case and was the impetus for the IGB rule regarding how many VGT locations could be in a “mall.” Currently there are seven licensed locations at the 25-unit plaza and the addition of these six would have put the total video gaming establishments to 13.

The meeting then concluded, with the Administrator only commenting briefly to remind everyone that the next meeting is September 15, 2022 and more details will be provided at a later date.