Essential Information About the Illinois Gambling Board
Established in 1990, the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) was spurred into existence on account of the Riverboat Gambling Act. With it, Illinois became the second state to legalize riverboat casinos. From that moment on, it didn’t take long before the first casino of that variety was open for business. The Illinois gaming board monthly reports show a track record of successfully enforced regulatory measures and resulting high degree of integrity throughout the gaming industry in the state. Here is some information you might find useful about the IGB.
| Organization Name | Illinois Gaming Board |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1990 |
| Head Office | 801 S 7th St #400, Springfield, IL 62703, United States |
| Phone | +1 217-524-0226 |
| IGB.FOIA@igb.illinois.gov | |
| Website | www.igb.illinois.gov |
| Regulates | Casino Gambling, Video Gaming, Sports Wagering |
You can send questions via email to the IGB requesting access to its records – something that is a right protected by the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). FOIA requests take some time to process, but the Illinois Gaming Board promises response within five business days. We recommend you get in touch with the Board by phone if you feel that your request is urgent.
The Video Gaming Act
Enacted in July 2009, the Video Gaming Act made legal the utilization of five Video Gaming Terminals (VGTs) by local businesses. The establishment deemed eligible are truck stops, veteran organizations, and licensed retail stores, restaurants, bars. According to the Video Gaming Act, the Illinois Gaming Board permits licensed venues such as restaurants and bars to house up to 6 video slot machines, while big truck stops are allowed to house up to 10 slots.
Licensees must install slot machines manufactured by authorized gaming equipment providers such as IGT, Bally technologies, SPIELO, and Novomatic. All Illinois slot machine revenue is taxable, meaning that a percentage goes to the state. Businesses also benefit a great deal from installing slot machines in their establishments because they attract new clientele and add a brand-new dimension that can be exploited.
Illinois Gaming Board Monthly Reports
All gambling in the USA is subject to strict regulation and necessitates the legal regulators to make monthly reports. There are all sorts of data available to the public on the Illinois Gaming Board website ranging from revenue reports to licensing information and the results of ongoing investigation. Whether it be sports wagering, video gaming or casino gambling, you are going to find an Illinois Gaming Board monthly report summing up the amount played, amount won, and net wagering activity. The catchphrase nowadays ‘transparency’ is the reason why such data is published and made accessible for the public. As we mentioned earlier, FOIA requests are accepted too and processed in due time. If the industry genuinely excites your curiosity, the Illinois Gaming Board monthly reports will help you stay in the know.
Forms of Gambling Under the Control of the IGB
There are three main categories of gambling that fall under the regulation of the Illinois Gaming Control Board. These are the type of gaming activities that are currently legal in the states. The IGB has the authority to license both manufacturers/ developers and distributors. Each of the different forms of gambling is addressed by a separate act.
- Casino Gambling – The Illinois Gambling Act gives the Board the authority to exercise control over all riverboat and casino facilities in the state.
- Video Gaming – Video Gaming terminals are first tested by the Illinois Gaming Board. The Board also has the right to determine which gaming terminals are compliant and which are not. That includes the type of games and how winnings are dispensed.
- Sports Wagering – According to the Sports Wagering Act all qualified applicants must meet the mandatory minimum qualification criteria as required by the Illinois Gaming Board
Illinois State Gaming Board Requirements
Ticking all the boxes from the IGB Illinois gaming board’s list of requirements is not something you can make light work of. For some businesses, it turns out to be a tall order or even an impossible task – that is if you get disqualified. Let’s say that you want to make a foray into gambling. Then what would be the prerequisites to obtaining a license? You should know that a full background check will be performed with a view of bringing to light anything suspicious or violating the law. This is what the check is meant to identify.
- Inconsistencies in the business audits
- Public records of felonies or criminal behaviour
- Negligence of the rules established in the Video Gaming Act
- Failed drug tests
Minor infractions of the Video Gambling Act might not provide sufficient grounds for the Illinois Gaming Board to disqualify a candidate. There is, however, a list of omissions that are not taken lightly by the Board and all applicants that are guilty of one or more of these acts is in danger of being disqualified and their application rejected. That’s actually quite similar to the way the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement operates.
Illinois Gaming Control Board Members
The IGB’s administration is a complex body of professionals divided into different apartments such as Casino Operations, Video Gaming Operations, Investigations etc. etc. However, there are five key figures that call the shots. Between them, they have tens of years of collective experience that aligns with the functions of the Illinois state gaming Board. A few words about the five board members.
- With more than 25 years of litigation, Charles Scmadeke is a partner in charge of Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP’S Springfield office. Schmadeke has extensive experience in legal cases involving civil rights and employment issues.
- Steven C. Dollins was given a position in the Bord by Governor Bruce Rauner because of his experience in tax planning and accounting.
- Sergeant Ruben Ramirez is an invaluable asset to the Illinois Gaming Control Board having worked in law enforcement his entire career.
- Assistant Vice President Dionne R. Hayden, formerly a corporate attorney, currently investigates and resolves a broad range of issues such as compliance conflicts of interest, and misconduct.
- Anthony Garcia is an attorney nominated to the Illinois Gaming Board on October 28 2019. He provides counselling for litigation at the Boeing Company.
Problem Gambling
Initially, a nationwide self-exclusion program (SEP) was set up by the Illinois Gaming Board to counteract the issue of problem gambling fueled by the newly opened riverboat casinos. As a consequence of that, the program was named Riverboat Voluntary Self-Exclusion Program. After the Sports Wagering Act came into effect on June 28, 2019, the SEP was adjusted to accommodate bettors as well.
Self-exclusion enrollment is done in person at one of the designated enrollment sites around the states Illinois and Iowa. The whole process takes no longer than 45 minutes. In order to complete the enrollment process, the only thing required on your behalf is to have a state-issued identification document. More detailed information is available on the llinois Gaming Board website
Questions About the Illinois Gaming Board
The Illinois state gamin board is a well-functioning structure the operation of which takes some time to understand. There’s a ton of information on the Illinois Gaming Board website that can help you in doing that, but you can also read through the commonly asked questions about the Board and their answers, right here.
