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HB 2947

GAMING-OCCUPATIONAL LICENSE

104th Regular Session Introduced by Cristina Castro and 3 co-sponsors

Illinois creates a non-gaming occupational ID badge for casino staff whose duties aren’t gaming-related, eliminating full occupational licenses and fingerprinting for those workers.

Public Act . . . . . . . . . 104-0255
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Bill Summary · HB 2947

Summary — HB 2947 (Public Act 104‑0255)

Status: Enrolled as Public Act 104‑0255; Governor approved August 15, 2025; effective August 15, 2025.

Purpose

HB 2947 amends Section 9 of the Illinois Gambling Act to streamline the regulatory treatment of workers who are employed at gambling facilities but whose duties are unrelated to gaming operations. The bill creates a distinct non‑gaming occupational identification badge in lieu of requiring a full occupational license for those employees.

Key provisions

  • Retains existing occupational license framework for employees who perform functions “involved in gaming by patrons,” including:
    • Minimum age 21 for gaming‑facing roles (18 for non‑gaming occupational license applicants).
    • Disqualifications for certain felony convictions and crimes involving dishonesty or moral turpitude (with Board discretion to license some convictions over 10 years old).
    • Skill/knowledge standards, fingerprint submission and associated State Police fees, one‑year license term, grounds for denial/suspension/revocation, and training provisions (agreements with community colleges or approved vocational schools).
  • Creates a non‑gaming occupational identification badge (new/clarified subsection (j)):
    • The Illinois Gaming Board shall not require individuals hired exclusively to perform functions unrelated to gaming operations to hold an occupational license.
    • The Board will issue a non‑gaming occupational identification badge upon submission of an application and payment of a nonrefundable annual fee set by the Board.
    • Eligibility: at least 18 years old.
    • Subsection (c) fingerprinting requirement expressly does not apply to holders of the non‑gaming badge (i.e., the fingerprint/search/classification fee to State Police is not required for the badge).
    • The Board retains authority to rescind badges for reasons provided under Section 9 and by Board rules; badge holders remain subject to the Board’s jurisdiction, standards, and adopted rules.

Who is affected

  • Non‑gaming employees at licensed gambling facilities (e.g., many food & beverage, housekeeping, maintenance, administrative, or retail staff) — these workers can be processed under the less burdensome non‑gaming badge regime rather than a full occupational license.
  • Gaming‑facing staff (dealers, pit supervisors, etc.) and entities managing gaming operations remain subject to the full occupational license requirements, background checks, and fingerprinting.
  • Licensed owners and organization gaming licensees, who will still oversee background checks, training agreements, and compliance with Board rules.

Procedural / timeline notes

  • Enacted as Public Act 104‑0255; Governor approved and effective August 15, 2025.
  • The Board is empowered to set the nonrefundable annual fee and to adopt implementing rules consistent with Section 9.

Potential effects and considerations

  • Administrative relief: reduces licensing burden, fingerprinting costs, and processing time for non‑gaming hires; may speed onboarding and lower employer/employee costs.
  • Regulatory tradeoffs: less intrusive screening for non‑gaming badge holders (no fingerprinting through the Board) could raise concerns about maintaining facility security and gaming integrity; the Board retains rescission authority and jurisdiction to mitigate risks.
  • Operational impact: licensed owners may need to update hiring and compliance procedures to use the new badge category and ensure periodic checks and adherence to Board rules.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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