Gambling Legislation Will Lead to Political Corruption & Crime Syndicate Infiltration

Gambling Legislation Will Lead to Political Corruption & Crime Syndicate Infiltration

CHICAGO, June 2, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Chicago will soon become the Las Vegas of the Midwest The Chicago Crime Commission is warning that if the gambling legislation that passed in the Illinois legislature becomes law, political corruption and Crime Syndicate infiltration will follow. Additionally, while the bill is being presented as a panacea for the state's financial woes, legislators have failed to calculate the cost to our quality of life which will result from making Chicago the Las Vegas of the Midwest.

"I would caution the Governor to think long and hard before he supports this legislation. It is beyond my comprehension that the Illinois legislature has passed this bill. I would strongly encourage a sober review by the Governor and urge him to reject this dangerous legislation," according to J.R. Davis, Chairman and President of the Chicago Crime Commission. "If signed, this legislation, more than any other in my memory, would change the complexion and perception of the City of Chicago and the State of Illinois...and not in a positive way," he continued.

The Gaming Bill provides for a massive expansion of gambling, including new casinos in Chicago and the suburbs as well as slot machines at the airports and racetracks. The bill allows for 39,200 gaming positions, more than tripling the number of existing positions statewide and also provides for 4,000 new gambling positions in Chicago alone.

If signed by the Governor, the Gaming Bill will also dilute the authority of the Illinois Gaming Board and set-up the organization's executive director for a potential conflict of interest. "The bill creates the Chicago Casino Development Authority which usurps the power of the Illinois Gaming Board, an organization renowned for their ability and integrity. The move essentially puts Chicago gaming in untested and most likely politically connected hands," Davis added.

"Moreover, the legislation sows the seeds for conflict of interest and political corruption at the Illinois Gaming Board by requiring that the appointment of the agency's executive director receive the consent of the Illinois Senate," he said.

"With an apparent complete disregard for public safety, the Illinois legislature passed this bill without any budget provisions to increase the number of investigators necessary to begin policing this gaming expansion behemoth," said Davis.

"The almost unbelievable number of new gambling activities provided by the bill will enable the always ingenious Crime Syndicate to seek out myriad ways to enrich itself by getting into the legal gambling business," added Davis. "It is unclear what regulatory provisions will be put in place to oversee the overwhelming number of new gambling activities. To date, the Crime Syndicate has been kept out of legal gambling in Illinois through the unflinching efforts of the current Illinois Gaming Board," he said.

"Pure and simple, the bill is a set-up for disaster. If passed, law enforcement can expect the entrance of the Crime Syndicate into legalized gambling through a variety of ruses and deceptions," Davis warned. "Federal prosecutors should plan for a constant stream of federal corruption indictments against government officials, gambling operators and members of the Crime Syndicate," he concluded.