Pressing pause
Bally’s Corporation has been told by the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) to halt construction on Chicago’s first-ever casino due to a waste hauler’s potential links to organized crime.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, D&P Construction Co. is supplying the site’s dumpsters. The same company was involved in controversy in 2001 when its links to organized crime led to a prospective casino project in Rosemont losing out on a gaming license, which instead went to Rivers Casino in Des Plaines.
claimed that D&P often secured contracts through intimidation or illegal payoffs
The FBI said at the time that the waste-hauling firm was run by the now-deceased Peter and John DiFronzo, who were leaders of the Chicago mob. It claimed that D&P often secured contracts through intimidation or illegal payoffs.
Major concerns
The state’s gambling regulator now wants to conduct an “investigation into the use of undisclosed and unapproved vendors” at the site. All contractors and vendors need to be disclosed to the IGB and get approval, which D&P did not.
doesn’t know if the company still has ties to organized crime
In a statement, the IGB said it has serious concerns as it doesn’t know if the company still has ties to organized crime, which could, in turn, lead to potential violations. The Chicago Community Builders Collective is running the development process, with the site’s contractor hiring D&P.
The latest issue
Gaming companies can risk losing their licenses if they deal with people of “notorious or unsavory reputation or who have extensive police records.”
Rivers Casino had to pay a $1.65m fine in April 2016 after an investigation uncovered that a mob-run company was supplying security and janitorial services.
The Bally’s project will remain on ice until it creates a new plan on how to vet and approve subcontractors. This is just the latest issue that has slowed down the development; previous problems have related to debris falling into the river, financing concerns, and a total redesign due to issues with underlying pipes.
