Gov. JB Pritzker checked most of the boxes on his legislative agenda by the end of the spring session in the Illinois Capitol, but he didn’t get the gambling regulation revamp he pitched to lawmakers that would’ve taken important decisions on the state’s multibillion-dollar betting industry outside public view.
State lawmakers adjourned for the summer without advancing a bill to merge the Illinois Gaming Board with the state Racing Board under a streamlined Department of Gaming Regulation and Enforcement — one that’s not subject to open meetings that are accessible to the public and press.
Both the existing boards meet publicly to deliberate lucrative gambling licenses and disciplinary matters pertaining to an industry with historic ties to organized crime.
