Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

How did this potential racino owner get a video gaming license?

Posted in:

Illinois

* As we discussed Friday, video gaming magnate and potential racino owner Rick Heidner was mentioned in the federal warrant served on Sen. Martin Sandoval’s Statehouse office.

Well, the Tribune had apparently been looking into Heidner for some time and published this story online Friday night…

A major video gambling operator who is asking the state for permission to build a southwest suburban horse track and casino has long-standing business ties to a banking family whose financial involvement with mob figures helped sink a Rosemont casino, the Tribune has found.

Gold Rush Gaming owner Rick Heidner has partnered in numerous real estate deals with Rocco Suspenzi, chairman of the board at Parkway Bank and Trust. Together, they have borrowed millions from the bank in deals for convenience stores and gas stations in several states. […]

The Tribune also found that Heidner has a similar real estate partnership with Dominic Buttitta, who pleaded guilty to running an illegal bookmaking operation and skimming money from his South Elgin strip club between 2005 to 2009.

* The Illinois Gaming Board gave Heidner a video gaming license in 2012. Apparently, its vaunted investigatory staff didn’t do some basic online searches…

The Tribune found the business, financial and legal connections between Heidner and the Suspenzis, as well as Buttitta, in public land, court and business registration records. Nearly all of the documents were available from online databases maintained by government agencies across the country.

If you haven’t yet, you really should go read the whole thing. Fascinating stuff.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Oct 15, 19 @ 9:35 am

Comments

Wow

Comment by Red Ketcher Tuesday, Oct 15, 19 @ 9:50 am
I know a guy who lost his terminal operator license in the second year because he answered a question incorrectly. It was about knowing anyone with a criminal past that you still do business with. He had answered no but the guy ended up having a record. Too bad for him. They yanked his license for not being clairvoyant.
But somehow Heidner’s dealings stood up to scrutiny?

Comment by Been There Tuesday, Oct 15, 19 @ 10:05 am
The Gaming Board’s main excuse when they are criticized for their slow pace is to argue that getting investigations done right is more important than getting them done fast. The Trib story really undermines that defense. Do the Gaming Board investigators not have a LexisNexis subscription? Maybe they can try Google.

The Tinley Park racino is suddenly on shaky ground. Can Hawthorne find a new partner to buy Heidner out?

Comment by Roman Tuesday, Oct 15, 19 @ 10:05 am
Illinois gambling statutes exempt gaming license applications from open records laws. That should be changed immediately.

Comment by DuPage Saint Tuesday, Oct 15, 19 @ 10:06 am
If a screenwriter proposed this story and named the character Rocco Suspenzi “Rocco Suspenzi,” Hollywood producers would nix the name for being too on-the-nose.

Comment by Rich Hill Tuesday, Oct 15, 19 @ 10:07 am
Do you really need to ask how ? Of course Heidner paid for
political access/cover/influence via Gold Rush gaming. And this is old news - see 2016 BGA report

” Gold Rush contributed more than $107,000 to elected officials statewide in the past three years, including $48,000 to Chicago politicians”

https://www.bettergov.org/news/video-gambling-firms-lay-cash-bets-on-illinois-politicians/

Comment by Donnie Elgin Tuesday, Oct 15, 19 @ 10:19 am
They should also ask how many politicans use their influence to lobby/sell his companies video gaming machines into towns and villages for a commission?

Comment by CCrider Tuesday, Oct 15, 19 @ 10:26 am
While the Trib story focused mostly on the Gaming Board, the Racing Board, run by subprime car loan turned payday loan honcho Jeff Brincat, is the bigger concern.

https://www.paulickreport.com/news/ray-s-paddock/payroll-drug-testing-oversight-are-concerns-as-illinois-horse-racing-heads-into-new-era/

https://illinoistimes.com/article-21429-racing-board-falls-short.html

Comment by Malcontent Tuesday, Oct 15, 19 @ 10:35 am
$107,000 is peanuts compared to what Arlington Park has contributed over the last three years.

Comment by Horse Pucky Tuesday, Oct 15, 19 @ 10:37 am
“$107,000 is peanuts”

That data was old and from over three a year period. Not worry though Gold Rush has not been idle. 2019 donations are at $182,000. Including 23k to Senate Dem victory fund, 10K to MJM and 5K to Tobolski.

https://tinyurl.com/y435cytf

Comment by Donnie Elgin Tuesday, Oct 15, 19 @ 10:58 am
Just to very clear and transparent, many of those 182K donations are done using Gold Rush amusements - another organ of the Rick Heidner enterprise

https://tinyurl.com/y64hhxfa

Comment by Donnie Elgin Tuesday, Oct 15, 19 @ 11:08 am
After going and reading the whole thing I think I can guess the answer to your headline question of “How did this potential racino owner get a video gaming license?”

Comment by don the legend Tuesday, Oct 15, 19 @ 11:14 am
==somehow Heidner’s dealings stood up to scrutiny?== I don’t think Heidner’s dealings were scrootened.

Comment by SAP Tuesday, Oct 15, 19 @ 11:21 am
Pritzker administration just stopped the Tinley Park land sale for the racino he is supposed to be involved with.

Comment by Ron Burgundy Tuesday, Oct 15, 19 @ 1:15 pm
What will happen with the gold rush license? I currently have gold rush at my place of business. Anyone have a prediction of what will happen? Appreciate some insight on this topic. Thank you

Comment by Micheal Scott Wednesday, Oct 16, 19 @ 11:36 am