Circuit Court Orders Illinois Gaming Board to Renew Emerald Casino’s License

The Circuit Court of Cook County today (Thursday, June 9) has ordered the Illinois Gaming Board to grant Emerald Casino’s application for renewal and relocation of its gaming license, upholding the mandate of the Illinois Appellate Court that ordered the court to do so more than two years ago.

Judge Sophia H. Hall, Presiding Judge of the Administrative Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County, granted Emerald Casino’s motion to re-docket the case so that it can pursue its re-application and relocation. The judge also agreed that Emerald Casino correctly followed all of the requirements under the Riverboat Gaming Act in filing its application for renewal and relocation from a depressed area downstate.

This order means that the Illinois Gaming Board must immediately renew Emerald Casino’s license fulfilling the intent of the legislature as spelled out in the state’s gaming act.

"We are confident that the courts of this state will continue to honor the rights of all of the investors of Emerald Casino and not to permit undisclosed wrongful conduct on the part of others to destroy the intent of the General Assembly and of the courts in order to protect the tenth riverboat license so that it can work on behalf of the people of the state of Illinois," Robert A. Clifford, attorney for Emerald Casino, said following the court’s decision. "We will take all necessary measures to implement the mandate of the General Assembly and the courts by rulings that the language in the statue saying ‘shall’ under the gaming laws is a mandatory ruling and that the license should have been and must now be issued."

Clifford also said that the administrative hearings before Judge Abner Mikva should be stopped and are moot, and that Emerald Casino intends to continue to carefully proceed in accordance with all of these rulings and riverboat gaming laws.