Video Gambling Magnate Rick Heidner Sues Illinois Gaming Board

Video gambling magnate Rick Heidner has filed a $4 million lawsuit against the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB).

Heidner, who was named in a federal search warrant during an FBI raid of former state Sen. Martin Sandoval’s office in September, alleges in a lawsuit filed to the Illinois Court of Claims that a gaming board employee intentionally and without authorisation disclosed sensitive financial information to three federal agencies.

“Upon information and belief, the IGB employee made these disclosures to fuel—or at least in response to—the negative media coverage the IGB helped generate against Mr. Heidner and Gold Rush,” the complaint reads.

The suit also alleges the gaming board did not immediately inform Heidner of the breach, which they are required to do under Illinois law. The leak was only discovered a month later, after Heidner filed a Freedom of Information Act request for all correspondences between the gaming board and the Tribune, according to the suit.

Heidner is requesting the maximum allowable damages of $2 million each for himself and his company over the alleged leak of personal information.

The leaked information included Heidner’s financial data, personal bank records, his Social Security number, real estate holdings, mortgages and liens and other sensitive records, according to the suit.