A retired Illinois Gaming Board agent has been awarded the Medal of Honor for his courageous efforts to save an elderly couple trapped in a burning car.
On Wednesday, IGB senior special agent Bryan E. Hileman was honored in a ceremony in Springfield attended by Governor JB Pritzker. Hileman, who retired recently, is the first IGB agent to receive the Illinois Police Medal of Honor for “great bravery or heroism while performing the duties as a law enforcement professional.”
Wednesday’s ceremony, held at the West Side Christian Church, honored 136 law enforcement officers for their courage and bravery.
The IGB regulates the state’s gambling industry, which includes Illinois online sportsbooks and 13 retail casinos in Illinois.
Hileman plucked elderly husband and wife from a eliminating car of which exploded
On February 19, 2020, Hileman was off duty and at home when the power went out. He went outside to investigate and discovered that a vehicle had struck a utility pole. An elderly couple was trapped inside the car.
Hileman first assisted the woman out of the car and then went back into the vehicle to pull out her unconscious husband. Hileman carried the man to safety just as the car caught fire. Shortly after, the car exploded.
“Without regard to his own safety, special agent Hileman’s quick actions saved the lives of an elderly couple,” said IGB administrator Marcus D. Fruchter in a press release. “Agent Hileman acted in a selfless and courageous manner. We applaud and commend his actions as well as those of other award recipients.”
The state of illinois Gaming Aboard recently included six fresh agents
Just over a month ago, the Illinois Gaming Board strengthened its ranks by adding six new agent trainees. The IGB was facing a staffing shortfall, especially considering its range of responsibilities.
Currently, there are thirteen casinos, 45,000 gaming terminals, and nine sportsbooks in Illinois, which generated over $1.4 billion in tax revenue for the state and local communities in calendar year 2022.
On Saturday, the Golden Nugget Casino opened in Danville, becoming the thirteenth casino in Illinois.
The Temporary by Full House Resorts is the most recent casino to open in the Prairie State. It opened on Feb. 27. PlayIllinois was there shortly thereafter to publish a review of the Waukegan casino.
According to a report, the additional IGB staff members “will be assigned to IGB casino field offices statewide. Hiring and training new gaming agents is part of the IGB’s ongoing effort to ensure fair and proper gaming practices across the state.”
The new gaming agent trainees and their casino assignments include:
- Lieu noir Brinkmeier – Rockford
- Brent Buckles – East St. Louis
- Kenneth Fox – Joliet
- Taliyah Ivy – Des Plaines
- Benjamin Joerger – Peoria
- Joshua Wright – Rockford
This is the IGB’s first law enforcement graduating class since September 2019.
The agents have completed a 560-hour basic training course for law enforcement officers.
Dork Briggs can be described as a managing editor and contributing writer for Dipendenza Media. He usually covers the betting industry in North America, with a particular focus on casinos, betting, horse racing, and hold’em in poker. He is currently writing about the video gaming industry in Illinois and even Canada.
