The Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) is seeking to revise the choice made in 2019 to award the gaming license to the institution which was reportedly related with a Chicago felony group. As reported, IGB claims that the playing license awarded to Jeffrey Bertucci for video gaming machines operated at his diner is topic to revocation after the company came upon that Bertucci had been concerned in a authorized case in opposition to one of many members of the Chicago mob.
Operator’s Historical past:
In line with Playillinois, the state playing regulator awarded the license to Bertrucci to legally function video gaming terminals at his Steak N Egger diner in Cicero in 2019. As latest studies unveiled that this particular person testified in opposition to the ”video poker king’‘ member of a Chicago unlawful group in federal court docket in 2010, IGB now says it ignored such operator’s historical past when reviewing his license utility on the time.
Unlawful Operations in 2010:
As reported by Playillinois, Bertucci confirmed that he acquired video gaming machines from James Marcello, a number one member of the infamous Chicago group, and from Casey Szaflarski, one other mob chief referred to as ”video poker king”. The Cicero diner operator additionally admitted that he had paid winnings to gamblers and shared revenue with Szaflarski, which was then unlawful within the state.
Topic to Self-discipline:
IGB stated that Bertrucci didn’t disclose particulars from the 2010 trial and is subsequently topic to IGB’s measures which will embrace the revocation of his playing license. IGB criticism reportedly reads: “Bertucci misrepresented the extent and period of his involvement with and use of coin-operated amusement gadgets for unlawful playing functions. Board Rule 310(a)(8) topics a licensee to self-discipline for misrepresenting any info to the board. By participating within the conduct described above, Bertucci’s firm is topic to self-discipline.”
Gaming Board Members’ Claims:
Additionally, IGB stated that none of the present gaming board directors began their service when the license was permitted. However, in keeping with Playillinois, they knew that Bertrucci was arrested on unlawful playing grounds in 2000 however granted him a license in 2019 for his ”obvious honesty’‘at the moment.
IGB officers added that they discovered about Bertrucci’s 2010 testimony on the mob trial in Might 2023 and determined to examine the case. On the similar time, the supply studies that native information shops reported the case in 2010 and signifies that the IGB directors had been accountable to determine the the reason why the 2019 license was granted to this particular person, no matter the truth that none of them began the service within the given interval.
Weighing Bertrucci’s Eligibility:
Bertrucci’s six playing gadgets at his Steak N Egger diner have generated greater than $4.8 million in bets since 2019. Over the identical interval, the operator paid over $100,000 in tax revenues and contributed round $18,000 to the Cicero neighborhood. Bertrucci now awaits IGB to weigh his previous errors and current contributions and determine which is able to prevail. IGB didn’t advise the time for such a settlement, as reported by the supply.
