Illinois Gaming Board puts off casino decisions

Regulators are have delayed decisions on four casino proposals in the state.

US.- The Illinois Gaming Board has put back the decision on whether to approve casino proposals for Waukegan, the south suburbs, Rockford and Williamson County due to a backlog of work caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a meeting on Thursday, the board said it was still a far way off completing the background and financial investigations required before approving any licences.

Illinois Gaming Board administrator Marcus Fruchter said that while the coronavirus pandemic was partly to blame, Illinois law makes it obligatory to investigate every individual with a 1 per cent ownership interest in any of the proposed properties.

The board is at present going through six separate casino applications while simultaneously overseeing the launch of sports betting in the state.

Fruchter said: “I know that this may be unsatisfying to some, but we have a process, and we are remaining faithful to it.”