Illinois state lottery bidder would not have passed background check

background check, state Department of Revenue officials said. Ultimately, the bid was deficient anyway, but this revelation all but dismisses the protest filed by the bidder, Intralot. A 23 page report, released under a Freedom of Information Act request as a response to the protest, said the “questionable background of certain key executives of Intralot” would leave the company “hard pressed to establish that it would have passed Illinois’ probity standards for serving as a private manager.” Intralot was one of three bidders on the contract to privately manage the lottery, with the goal of increasing sales and revenue for the state. The others were Camelot Illinois and Northstar Lottery Group – a consortium of companies who all currently hold contracts with the lottery. The report said Intralot failed to disclose the ownership interests of two people — Sokratis Kokkalis and Constantinos Antonopoulos — in the company. Both had been indicted for criminal offenses in the past, although the report also noted both were acquitted. It went on to say: “In light of the questionable background of certain key executives of Intralot and its parent corporation, including numerous criminal indictments brought against them for alleged money-laundering, fraud, embezzlement, bribery, misleading investors and espionage, coupled with Intralot’s loss of licenses in Bulgaria and South Africa and its dismal performance record in Australia, Intralot would be hard pressed to establish that it would have passed Illinois’ probity standards for serving as private manager”. Ultimately, things seem to have worked out for the best in this scenario. But, once again, it’s another example of how background screening is becoming an essential part of todays society.]]>