| ILLINOIS SCHOOL SYSTEM AUDITIllinois Video Gaming & Political MoneyGlotz · Heidner · Pekau · The Statewide Poker Machine Network |
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| 49,552VGTs in Illinois | $871MVGT tax revenue — now #1 over lottery | 800Gold Rush Gaming locations | $1.5MHeidner bipartisan donations over 20 years |
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866-312-6456 | auditor@illinoisschooldistrictaudit.com | IllinoisSchoolDistrictAudit.com | May 2026
THE BIG PICTURE — VIDEO GAMING IS THE MONEY PIPELINE
| Why Video Gaming Is the Most Important Corruption Story in IllinoisIllinois has 49,552 video gaming terminals (VGTs) in 8,758 establishments — bars, restaurants, gas stations, truck stops, fraternal organizations. In the last fiscal year, VGTs generated $871 million in tax revenue, surpassing the state lottery ($789 million) as the single largest source of gambling tax revenue in Illinois. This money flows through a network of terminal operators, establishment owners, and municipalities that control licensing. The operator of those terminals — the company that places machines in bars and collects the revenue — has a massive financial incentive to influence: (1) which municipalities allow gaming; (2) how many licenses are issued; (3) what restrictions apply; and (4) who regulates the industry at the state level. Rick Heidner, owner of Gold Rush Gaming (the 3rd largest VGT operator in Illinois with machines in nearly 800 locations), just ran for Governor of Illinois. He donated to both parties for 20 years — $1.5 million total — specifically to politicians who control gaming policy. This is not coincidence. It is the business model. |
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RICK HEIDNER — THE GOVERNOR'S RACE AND THE GAMING EMPIRE
Full Biography
| Item | Detail |
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| Age | 64-65; Barrington Hills, Illinois |
| Gold Rush Gaming | Co-founded 2012 with wife Alisa; 3rd largest VGT operator in Illinois; machines in nearly 800 bars, restaurants, gas stations statewide |
| Ricky Rockets Fuel Center | Gas station chain — venues that can host VGTs |
| Prairie State Energy | Wholesale fuel supplier |
| Real estate | 280+ commercial properties across 12 states |
| Governor's race | Ran Republican primary March 17, 2026; lost to Darren Bailey (54%); self-funded $1 million |
| Running mate | Christina Neitzke-Troike, Mayor of Homer Glen |
| Campaign chairman | Brett Corrigan — former Bailey operative |
| IRS lien | $5 million IRS lien placed on Heidner and wife in 2022; reportedly resolved via payment agreement |
| Mob ties | 2019: Chicago Tribune reported he partnered in real estate deals with banking family alleged to have mob ties |
| Sandoval probe | 2019: Heidner's name appeared in federal search warrant executed on state Sen. Martin Sandoval's office (sweeping public corruption probe); prosecutors said he was not a target |
| Tinley Park casino | Heidner's company involved in scrapped racetrack/casino project in Tinley Park — state cancelled land sale |
The $1.5 Million Bipartisan Donation Network
| The Strategy — Buy Access on Both SidesHeidner and his businesses donated nearly $1.5 million to politicians of both parties over 20 years. This is not ideological — it is transactional. Every donation went to someone with power over: (1) VGT licensing and regulation; (2) municipal gaming ordinances; (3) state gaming law. The list of recipients reads like a who's who of Illinois political power. |
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| Recipient | Party | Why They Matter to Heidner |
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| Brandon Johnson | D — Chicago Mayor | Chicago VGT expansion battle; Heidner gave $25K after election to pay down campaign debt; wanted gaming meeting with Johnson |
| Kim Foxx | D — Cook County State's Attorney | Prosecution decisions affecting gaming enforcement |
| Toni Preckwinkle | D — Cook County Board President | Cook County gaming and licensing oversight |
| Don Harmon | D — Illinois Senate President | Controls what gaming legislation comes to the floor |
| Michael Madigan | D — Former House Speaker | Controlled all legislation in Illinois for decades |
| Rahm Emanuel | D — Former Chicago Mayor | City gaming policy |
| Richard M. Daley | D — Former Chicago Mayor | City gaming policy |
| Richard Irving | R — 2022 GOP gov candidate | Backed Republican candidate |
| Martin Sandoval | D — Former State Senator | Sandoval was the corruption probe subject; Heidner name in warrant |
| THE CORE CONFLICTThe owner of the 3rd largest VGT company in Illinois, who has donated $1.5 million to politicians controlling gaming policy, ran for Governor. As governor, he would have appointed the Illinois Gaming Board members who regulate his own industry. He would have signed or vetoed any legislation affecting VGT operations. He would have controlled the enforcement apparatus for gaming violations. This is the most direct conflict of interest of any gubernatorial candidate in Illinois history. |
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MICHAEL GLOTZ — TINLEY PARK AND THE GAMING CONNECTION
| The Tinley Park Racetrack/Casino That Wasn't — And Heidner's RoleHeidner's company was involved in a scrapped proposal to develop a racetrack and casino on state-owned land in Tinley Park. The state cancelled the land sale. Michael Glotz is the Mayor of Tinley Park — a member of Operating Engineers Local 150. Bob Rita (also Local 150) sued Glotz. The same geographic footprint where Heidner had gaming ambitions is the same geography where Glotz controls municipal gaming licensing. The intersection of Heidner's gaming interests and Glotz's Tinley Park is not coincidental — it is structural. |
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Glotz and Gaming Licensing
Tinley Park VGT ordinance: As mayor, Glotz controls Tinley Park's video gaming licensing. FOIA: All VGT license applications and approvals in Tinley Park under Glotz's tenure. Cross-reference license holders against Glotz campaign donors.
CISCO recognition: The Construction Industry Service Corporation (CISCO) named Tinley Park 'Public Body of the Year 2023 for protecting taxpayers through supporting workers.' CISCO represents union construction contractors. VGT terminal installation and facility renovation at licensed locations generates union labor contracts.
Labor Advisory Board: Glotz created Tinley Park's Labor Advisory Board — connecting the village to Operating Engineers Local 150 and affiliated unions. Union members and contractors who benefit from Tinley Park spending are natural Glotz donors.
ORLAND PARK — THE COMPLETE GAMBLING MACHINE STORY
| The Timeline — How Voters Said No and Pekau Said Yes AnywayThis is one of the most documented examples of a politician overriding the will of the voters to benefit his own donors. The people of Orland Park voted NO. Pekau and his three allied trustees voted yes anyway. Then Pekau gave himself unlimited power as liquor/gaming commissioner to approve or deny licenses — power that his own trustee Dodge called 'too much power unchecked by the full board.' Then Pekau's three trustees were caught. This is documented in public records. |
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| Date | Event |
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| 2009 | Village Board bans video gaming in Orland Park |
| 2017 | Declining tax revenue ($1.2M loss); board discusses reversing ban |
| Dec 2017 | Citizens group collects 2,100 signatures for anti-gaming referendum; Village Clerk John Mehalek places it on ballot — Pekau calls this 'hijacking' |
| Jan 2018 | Village Board places its OWN pro-gaming referendum on March 2018 ballot — two dueling referendums |
| March 2018 | BOTH referendums result in NO votes — voters said no to gaming on both questions |
| August 2018 | Despite NO votes, Pekau and 3 trustees (Carroll, Ruzich, Fenton) vote 4-3 to approve video gaming ordinance anyway — 20 Class A liquor license holders |
| 2019 | Board votes to expand — gives Pekau SOLE POWER as liquor/gaming commissioner to approve/deny licenses, waive requirements including probationary periods. Trustees Milani, Healy, Katsenes vote yes with Pekau. Trustees Calandriello and Dodge oppose: 'too much power unchecked' |
| 2019 | Ethics complaint filed by Michael F. Henry alleging Pekau and Police Chief Tim McCarthy violated state gift ban by accepting honorary Crystal Tree Country Club memberships — Pekau as gaming commissioner had power to approve Crystal Tree's gaming license while receiving free membership |
| 2021 | New trustees elected — Pekau-backed slate including Milani, Healy, Katsenes win |
| 2021 | New board repeals ethics ordinance modeled after Tinley Park's — Pekau-backed trustees call it 'too restrictive' |
| 2021 | Edwards Realty (top Pekau donor) awarded six-figure consulting contract to advise on Main Street Triangle property development — pay-to-play documented |
| 2022 | Klein, Thorpe & Jenkins (village attorney) has paid $3.2M in legal fees since Pekau became mayor; 9 KT&J employees donated $2,650 to Pekau's congressional campaign — 6 on the SAME DAY |
| Dec 2024 | Cook County judge removes Trustees Katsenes and Healy from Electoral Board — found 'unacceptable risk of bias' due to ties to Pekau and unpaid loans from his campaign |
| April 2025 | Pekau loses to Jim Dodge by 15 points |
| Aug 2025 | Cook County judge issues TRO ordering Pekau to take down internal village documents he posted on his blog |
The Pay-to-Play Map — Pekau's Donors Who Got Contracts
| Donor | Amount to Pekau | What They Got |
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| Edwards Realty (Hassan) | Top donor; Hassan maxed personal federal contribution at $5,800 | Six-figure consulting contract for Main Street Triangle property development |
| Horton Insurance | Major donor | Village insurance provider contract |
| Klein, Thorpe & Jenkins | $22,000 mayoral campaign 2017-2021; 9 employees $2,650 congressional | $3.2 million in legal fees as village attorney 2017-2022 |
| Video gaming establishments | Bar/restaurant owners with gaming licenses | Licensed under ordinance that overrode voter NO vote; Pekau given sole power to approve/waive requirements |
| Crystal Tree Country Club | Honorary membership (free) to Pekau and Police Chief McCarthy | Gaming license approval authority held by Pekau as gaming commissioner |
| ⚠ THE GAMING COMMISSIONER CONFLICT — HENRY'S ETHICS COMPLAINTMichael F. Henry filed an ethics complaint with the Village of Orland Park in 2019 alleging that Mayor Pekau and Police Chief Tim McCarthy violated the Illinois Gift Ban Act (5 ILCS 430/10-10) by accepting honorary Crystal Tree Country Club memberships worth thousands of dollars annually. The conflict: Pekau, as liquor and gaming commissioner, had sole power to approve or deny Crystal Tree's video gaming license and waive requirements. The village had no ethics enforcement system in place to process the complaint. A new ordinance was eventually drafted — then repealed by Pekau's trustees as 'too restrictive.' The complaint exposed the core structural problem: the same person who controls who gets gaming licenses is receiving gifts from potential license holders. |
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THE STATEWIDE POKER MACHINE NETWORK — HOW THE MONEY FLOWS
| The Business Model — Every Municipality Is a TargetEvery Illinois municipality that allows video gaming is a revenue source for VGT operators. Every municipality that restricts or bans gaming is lost revenue. The VGT operators' business model therefore requires: (1) eliminating gaming bans; (2) minimizing restrictions; (3) maximizing license counts; (4) placing allied politicians in positions to approve licenses and waive requirements. This is exactly what happened in Orland Park. Pekau flipped a gaming ban, overrode voter opposition, gave himself sole licensing power, and received campaign donations from bar owners and gaming-adjacent businesses. The same pattern is replicated across Illinois. |
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The Illinois VGT Industry — Key Facts
| Fact | Detail |
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| Total VGTs | 49,552 machines in 8,758 locations statewide (Illinois Gaming Board) |
| Tax revenue | $871 million FY2024 — surpassed lottery ($789M) as #1 gambling tax source |
| Largest operator | Accel Entertainment — 2,775 locations |
| 3rd largest | Gold Rush Gaming (Heidner) — ~800 locations |
| How operators profit | Split revenue with host establishment; collect data; manage machines; negotiate placement contracts |
| Municipal control | Each municipality decides: ban, allow, or restrict. Restrictions include: # of machines per establishment, signage, distance from schools/churches, hours, age verification |
| The political play | Bar/restaurant owners fund candidates who support gaming; operators fund candidates who eliminate restrictions; both fund candidates who give them licensing power |
The Statewide Pattern to Document
◆ Investigation Network — Connected Pages
⚡ New Lead / UpdateACTIVE LEAD: D&P Realty LLC at Bally's Chicago site — is D&P the entity? Check IL SOS. Connection to Rovito indictment (Apr 29, 2026, NDIL). Heidner $25K to Johnson campaign documented.