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People with felony convictions are currently barred from working
in Illinois casinos. A bill passed by the Illinois legislature
in May will change that. State Sen. Robert Peters, D-Chicago,
sponsored Senate Bill 1462. He expects the governor to sign it.
“Allowing workers to perform jobs in the casinos that do not
involve gaming decreases the likelihood that they will backslide
and wind up back in prison,” Peters said.
The bill was supported by labor unions and the Illinois Gaming
Board. It passed the legislature mostly along party lines.
Peters sponsored the bill at the request of Unite Here Local 1,
the Illinois chapter of hotel, food service and gaming workers.
Unite Here showed Peters that many previously incarcerated
people are locked out of jobs at the Chicago Casino because they
have been in prison.
“Mass incarceration and profoundly deep income inequality are
tied together,” Peters said. “There is an inherent contradiction
in saying that you want to be tough on crime while you are
leaving people out of economic opportunity.”
A union job with benefits gives formerly incarcerated people a
way to turn their lives around, Peters said.
"They can pay their rent, put food on the table and enjoy a
dignified life,” he said. “I jumped at the chance to sponsor
this bill.”
If the bill is signed into law, people with felony convictions
will be eligible to apply for an occupational license from the
Illinois Gaming Board. The license allows the holder to work at
Illinois casinos in non-gaming positions. Under the proposed
law, the Illinois Gaming Board will have the right to refuse a
permit to “anyone deemed a threat to the state’s public
interests or gaming integrity.” The types of convictions, the
severity of the charges and the time period since the applicant
was convicted will all be reviewed.
Bally’s Corporation is working to open a $1.7 billion Chicago
Casino facility at Freedom Centre in River West in 2026.
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