In Illinois, Senate Bill 1462, which would allow convicted felons to work in casinos, passed in a 78-27 vote and now awaits Governor J.B. Pritzker’s signature.
Specifically, the bill would allow people with felony convictions to be eligible to apply for an occupational license from the Illinois Gaming Board so they could work in casinos in non-gaming positions. The board would review the type of conviction, the number and severity of the charges and the time since conviction. The bill had the support of labor unions and the gaming board.
The bill’s sponsor, state Senator Robert Peters, said data from local unions indicated under current state law, many convicted felons would be prevented from taking jobs at the new Bally’s Chicago casino because they served time in prison.
Per WTVO, Peters said, “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.”
He added, “Mass incarceration and profoundly deep income inequality are tied together. There is an inherent contradiction in saying that you want to be tough on crime while you are leaving people out of economic opportunity.”
