Grand Victoria Riverboat Casino in Elgin is facing class action lawsuit over claims that it has violated an Illinois biometrics law in scanning staff members’ fingerprints when they clock in and out of work.
Local news outlet the Cook County Record reports that Ronnie Alquero filed on August 20 a complain in the Cook County Circuit Court individually and on behalf of other employees at the casino. The complaint names Reno, Nevada casino operator Eldorado Resorts Inc. and Elgin Riverboard Resort – Riverboat Casino as defendants in the legal dispute.
The lawsuit alleges that the casino owners have violated the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act. The plaintiff said that over the course of his employment at the riverboat casino, he was required to scan his fingerprints to verify identity when punching the clock.
The lawsuit claims that owners of the gambling venue have not obtained written authorization from their workers for the regular fingerprint scans. In addition, the casino is being accused of not providing notices for the scans that are required under the state’s biometrics law.
Grand Victoria Casino is located in Elgin, Illinois, approximately 40 miles away from downtown Chicago. It features nearly 1,100 slot machines, 30 table games, and a 12-table poker room as well as four dining outlets, just under 7,500 square feet of meeting and banquet space, concert and event facilities, a parking garage with 1,450 spaces, and surface parking with space for 600 vehicles.
Plaintiff Seeks Statutory Damages
The plaintiff in the lawsuit is represented by Ryan F. Stephan and Teresa M. Beevar of Stephan Zouras LLP in Chicago. He seeks statutory damages of up to $5,000 per each violation of the defendant, plus attorneys’ fees and other relief.
The plaintiff said in the 26-page class action lawsuit that Grand Victoria’s practice of scanning the fingerprints of its employees exposes them to “serious and irreversible privacy risks.”
The Grand Victoria casino currently employs more than 700 people. According to the lawsuit against the gambling venue and its owners, it requires certain employees with access to restricted areas, such as equipment and supply rooms, to scan their fingerprints on a biometric key dispenser in order to receive the keys to these restricted areas.
The lawsuit goes on that unlike keys, ID badges, or key cards that are used at other similar properties and can be changed or replaced if compromised or stolen, fingerprints “are unique, permanent biometric identifiers associated with each employee.” If the database containing the fingerprints is hacked or exposed in other ways, employees “have no means by which to prevent identity theft, unauthorized tracking or other unlawful or improper use of this highly personal and private information.”
Eldorado added Grand Victoria Casino to its portfolio of properties in August 2018 in a $327.5 million all-cash deal. The casino is among the premium gaming properties in the Chicagoland region.
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