The Illinois Gaming Board on Tuesday ordered a Chicago developer to sell his interest in the Casino Queen riverboat in East St. Louis because of his past ties to a known associate of organized crime.
Casino Queen Ownership Of Property
- First time at Casino Queen. It smelled like a gas station bathroom walking in and didnt get any better. The bathroom was even worse! It wreaked of urine. It was very obvious that no disinfectant was being used when they wiped things down. The cleanliness is not up to par with other casinos and Ive been to many. On the up side, my husband and I.
- Dec 28, 2012 Casino Queen, located at 200 South Front Street in East St. Louis, Ill., was established in 1993 and has since made more than $10 million in charitable contributions and invested more than $200.
The holding company that owns the Casino Queen in East St. Expand Your Options Access COMPED cruises, biggest tournaments, and best offers at casinos and cruise lines around the world. Out of the 7 years of employment by the Casino Queen. I was exposed to many entities of the Casino business. Most of all I was exposed to the RV Park/Hotel. On a daily basis I engaged with many different people. My customer service was great. The most enjoyable part of my job is meeting different people from many walks of life.
The developer, Gerard Kenny, a partner in the new Mandarin Oriental Tower near Millennium Park, has 30 days to sell his shares, the board ruled.
The Tribune reported in 2005 that Kenny had a business venture with Leonard J. Mercer Jr., a convicted felon who had been identified by authorities in New Jersey as an associate of organized crime.
Mercer was Kenny's original partner in the deal to build the Mandarin Oriental, but Kenny said Tuesday that Mercer withdrew from the deal early on.
'Once we did a background check, it became apparent that because of my license [with the Gaming Board] I could not go forward with him. That's what I told the Gaming Board,' Kenny said.
Mercer was replaced by two of his associates--Frank A. Leo and Patrick Danan--who were denied racetrack licenses in 2004 by New York racing authorities after they failed to properly disclose Mercer's interest in that deal.
The Illinois board cited the relationships with Mercer, Leo and Danan in its action Tuesday.
In its order, the board said that Mercer, Leo and Danan have 'notorious and/or unsavory reputations,' and that Kenny's associations with them could threaten the credibility of gaming in Illinois.
'The board will not tolerate people with notorious or unsavory reputations getting licenses or participating in the gaming industry in the state of Illinois,' Gaming Board Chairman Aaron Jaffe said during the meeting.
Kenny, who owns almost 3 percent of the Casino Queen, said he is looking at his legal options. Leo and Danan could not be reached for comment.
'I have business partners in whom I retain full faith,' Kenny said of Leo and Danan.
The Kenny family is among five that share ownership in the Casino Queen riverboat. The Illinois Gaming Board is reviewing plans the families have submitted to sell the riverboat.
The board also fined Kenny $10,000 for failing to disclose agreements he made with family members pledging his Casino Queen stock as collateral.
Casino Queen Il
After Kenny's ties to Mercer were first reported, the board asked Kenny for more financial information and learned of two agreements the family had made that could affect the ownership of the riverboat. Any agreement to pledge or transfer ownership interest must be disclosed to the board.
Kenny's siblings, who include executives of Kenny Construction as well as James C. Kenny, the former U.S. ambassador to Ireland, also were fined Tuesday for not disclosing the agreements to the board.
Casino Queen Ownership Records
Patrick Kenny, Gerard Kenny's brother and the family's liaison with the Gaming Board, said Tuesday he had no comment on the board's actions. He was fined $15,000, while three other brothers and a sister were fined $2,000 each.
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cyednak@tribune.com
Coordinates: 43°02′28″N91°10′42″W / 43.04101°N 91.178437°W
| Casino Queen Marquette | |
|---|---|
| Location | Marquette, Iowa |
| Address | 100 Anti Monopoly |
| Opening date | February 2000 |
| Total gaming space | 17,514 sq ft (1,600 m2) |
| Signature attractions | Pink Elephant Sevens |
| Notable restaurants | The Buffet |
| Casino type | Riverboat |
| Owner | CQ Holdings |
| Previous names | Miss Marquette (2000) Isle of Capri Marquette (2000-2008) Lady Luck (2008-2016) |
| Website | www.casinoqueen.com/marquette |
Casino Queen Marquette is a 17,514 square feet (1,627.1 m2)[1]riverboat casino located in Marquette, Iowa (across the Mississippi River from Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin) that is owned and operated by CQ Holdings. The riverboat, named Miss Marquette, is located by a 31-acre (13 ha) site that also contains an enclosed pavilion, providing dining on the first floor and an entertainment showroom/banquet area on the second floor. [2]
Currently offering 566 slot machines featuring a variety of games and 8 tables games.[3]
History[edit]
The Miss Marquette riverboat in Marquette, Iowa was bought from Sodak Gaming in November 1999 for $41.67 million.[4] Shortly after, on October 6, 2000, Isle of Capri agreed to acquire the Miss Marquette riverboat for $47.7 million.[5] The riverboat, Miss Marquette, was acquired from the Isle of Capri Casinos in 2000, and re-branded as the Isle of Capri Marquette.[6] In December 2008 the Miss Marquette riverboat was approaching a Lady Luck re-brand.[7] A few months later, March 2009, the exterior re-branding of the Miss Marquette riverboat was completed.[8] Later in the year, August 2009, the completion of the Lady Luck re-brand was near.[9]
On October 13, 2016 Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc announced the sale of its Lady Luck branded casino property in Marquette, Iowa to Casino Queen, or CQ Holdings Company Inc for an estimated amount of $40 million. [10] After a few months, on March 13, 2016, the Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc completed the announced sell of Lady Luck Casino Marquette property to Casino Queen for an estimated amount of $50 million in redemption of its outstanding debt.[11]
References[edit]
- ^'Casino Sq ft'. Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
- ^'Casino Property Attractions'. Isle of Capri Casinos. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
- ^'Casino Offerings'. Upper Mississippi Gaming Corporation. Archived from the original on December 2, 2013. Retrieved November 27, 2013.
- ^'Miss Marquette for sell'. The Telegraph-Herald. Dubuque, Iowa. November 6, 1999. Retrieved December 1, 2013.
- ^'Casino acquisition October 2000'. Archived from the original on November 28, 2008. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
- ^'Casino Acquired'. UNLV Center for Gaming Research. Retrieved November 28, 2013.
- ^'Miss Marquette approaching Lady Luck re-brand'. St. Louis Business Journal. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
- ^'Exterior Re-branding Completed'. PRNewswire. Archived from the original on December 2, 2013. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
- ^'Re-brand near completion'. PRNewswire. Archived from the original on 2 December 2013. Retrieved 2 December 2013.
- ^'Lady Luck Casino sell'. PRNewswire. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
- ^'Lady Luck Casino sold'. PRNewswire. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
External links[edit]