Issue Date: Vol. 50, No. 2, February 2010, Posted On: 1/22/2010
Official: Illinois Will Not Allow Gray-Area Operators To Participate In VLT Market
by Staff Reporter
VLT, video lottery terminal, llinois Gaming Board, Aaron Jaffe, Illinois Video Gaming Act, amusement machine operator, game operator, gambling
SPRINGFIELD -- The Illinois Gaming Board last week
formally adopted rules to prevent former gray-area
poker operators from participating in the state's
planned legal video lottery market. IGB chairman
Aaron Jaffe had previously signaled his strong intent
to adopt such a policy in late December, as reported
by VENDING TIMES. Under the IGB rules, no person
may manufacture or operate VLTs, or own locations
that
host them, if they have a prior conviction for a
gambling-related offense.
In addition, any person whom the IGB accuses of
involvement in the gray market after Dec. 16, 2009,
can also be excluded from the VLT market -- even if no
conviction was obtained or formal charges were ever
made, according to a report in The Chicago Sun-Times. The IGB said it will investigate suspect
gray-area involvement on a case-by-case basis,
including situations in which operators paid fines to
settle charges of illegal gambling activity.
Illinois passed the Video Gaming Act in July of 2009.
Under the act, a new market of up to 45,000 operator-run
video lottery terminals is expected to begin operations in
December 2010.
