The Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) recently alleged that video gambling operator Accel Entertainment is violating its inducement rules, for which it will pay a fine of $5 million. Accel allegedly worded the agreement with business owners installing their machines that provided incentives.

Incentives for business owners

According to an 8-page document against the operator, Accel entered into a deal with DraftKings, a popular sports betting brand to use the commissions paid to it as an incentive for business owners who install video gambling machines from Accel. It is illegal for video gaming machine operators to offer incentives to businesses and gain a competitive edge in the market. The IGB claims that the firm paid $21,000 in commissions that violate its rules.

DraftKings gained access to the Illinois sports betting market after a Casino Queen agreement. It sought to gain advertising space on the video gambling screens rolled out by Accel in 2,300 locations spread across the state. The Boston-based online sportsbooks provided Accel $200 for every new customer meeting certain conditions, channeled to its platform. Accel also got the right to share the money with the businesses it operated with.

The evidence available with the IGB

The IGB has highlighted two emails from the chief commercial officer of Accel which reflects the wording that the company intended to use in the DraftKings agreement for sharing its commissions with business owners operating their machines. One of the emails states,

“We want it in the agreement so the gaming board can see that we are operating as a pass-through for the commissions.”

The IGB states that the agreement gave Accel complete control over the payments and also allowed them to lure in potential and existing clients. The operator is disagreeing with all the claims and plans to defend its case. This is not the first time during the year that Accel has rubbed shoulders with authorities. In March, the firm was accused of taking advantage of its IGB connections to obtain an internal document from the board related to its competitors. It used the documents to benefit from the decisions taken by the board.