As the General Assembly rushes to wind up its session by voting on legalizing sports betting, casino expansion, recreational marijuana and a big capital bill, comes the news that some Illinois legislators may be profiting from an industry they regulate. Shocking, we know. According to reporting by ProPublica and WBEZ Chicago, Senate Minority Leader Bill Brady is listed in gaming board records as a “person with significant interest or control” for Midwest Electronics Gaming, one of the state’s largest video gambling companies. Brady and others with close ties to the industry will be voting on whether to raise taxes on video gambling in Illinois, which has one of the lowest tax rates in the country. “No Illinois lawmaker should take a dime from the video gambling industry,” editorializes the Chicago Sun-Times. “The history of gambling in this state and country is just too shady.” Yes, and what about including ethics safeguards in all the other big-money programs which might tempt lawmakers to go astray? As the Sun-Times says, “The danger of dark influences has always been great.” –Fletcher Farrar, editor and CEO
This article appears in May 30 – Jun 5, 2019.
