Illinois Senate President Pocketed $50K From Online Casino Deemed Illegal by Gaming Board
After receiving criticism for taking a $50,000 donation from a contentious online sweepstakes gambling platform, Illinois Senate President Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) has said that he will give the money to charity.
Since January 2020, Harmon, one of Illinois's most influential politicians, has presided over the Senate. Eight years before, he served as president pro tempore.
Early in January, Harmon—who has already come under fire for allegedly breaking campaign financing laws—accepted a $50,000 donation from ARB Interactive, the parent company of Modo Casino.
In order to participate in sweepstakes promotions based on interactive table games and slot machines, users can buy sweepstakes coins at Modo, an online sweepstakes casino.
The $50,000 cheque from ARB Interactive was accepted on January 6 by Friends of Don Harmon, the senator's primary election committee. According to documents on the Illinois State Board of Elections website, the cash came from ARB's Miami headquarters at 601 Brickell Drive, Suite 600. The cheque was referred to as the business's "2025 Pledge."
In March, Harmon also accepted a $250,000 donation from the Sports Betting Alliance.The SBA advocates for state governments to accept iGaming and online sports betting.
Harmon Gives Casino Sweepstakes Cash
The Illinois Gaming Board sent Modo gambling a cease-and-desist letter a little over a week after Harmon cashed his ARB check, citing claims that the sweepstakes gambling platform is "engaged in the operation of an illegal online casino in violation of the Illinois Criminal Code."
The Social Gaming Leadership Alliance, a lobbying group representing the sweepstakes casino business, asserts that its members run free-to-play online casino games with "optional in-game purchases to enhance and extend gameplay." In disagreement, state legislators, attorneys general, and casino regulators across have ordered contests to end inside their respective jurisdictions.
Harmon's office said that the $50,000 would be given to charity after the Illinois Gaming Board declared Modo to be a criminal company and the Chicago Sun-Times covered the ARB donation.
“Senate President Harmon has long been among the most skeptical voices in Springfield as to the wisdom of putting a slot machine in every Illinoisan’s pocket, and he remains so today,” a spokesperson for the senator said.
However, with online sports betting now allowed in Illinois, the Sports Betting Alliance’s $250,000 investment is likely connected to trying to convince the General Assembly to authorize iGaming. The advocacy group claims to be committed to "legal, regulated online sports betting and online gaming." DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Fanatics, and bet365 are among its members.
Is Modo Casino located in Illinois?
According to the Modo Casino website, ARB Interactive has disregarded the Illinois Gaming Board's cease-and-desist order and is still able to play gold and sweeps coins.
In the event that the Illinois state government files a lawsuit, Modo claims it is ready to defend the legitimacy of its operations.
