Illinois Senate President Don Harmon’s campaign accepted a $50,000 contribution from ARB Interactive, the parent company of Modo, a sweepstakes casino. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, it was one of the largest donations recorded in 2026 to Friends of Don Harmon for State Senate.
The contribution was filed with the Illinois State Board of Elections on Jan. 6. CardPlayer reported that it came after a 15-minute meeting between Harmon and representatives from the company.
A campaign spokesman said Modo’s business was not part of the meeting, and repeated the line that Harmon has long been skeptical of “putting a slot machine in every Illinoisan’s pocket.” The spokesman’s comment framed the senator as cautious about online gambling rather than aligned with the company.
The timing of the donation added to the scrutiny. The Sun-Times reported that it arrived days before the start of a legislative session in which gambling regulation was to be discussed, though that effort ultimately did not advance.
Harmon also holds a powerful post as Senate president, with considerable influence over what legislation reaches lawmakers. That gave the donation a political significance beyond its dollar value.
About a month later, the Illinois Gaming Board sent Modo a cease-and-desist letter dated Feb. 4. In that letter, the board said it had reason to believe Modo was operating an illegal online casino in violation of the Illinois Criminal Code.
The board said that on Jan. 15 it observed Modo offering Illinois users slots and table games through the internet and mobile devices. It said the games gave users the chance to win cash, gift cards and other prizes, and ordered Modo to block Illinois residents or stop offering those rewards.
The IGB also said it had neither licensed nor authorized Modo to engage in online gambling activity. The letter warned that failures to comply could expose Modo, its affiliates and business partners to civil or criminal penalties.
After the cease-and-desist letter, the Modo website remained accessible to Illinois users, the Sun-Times reported. ARB Interactive said it disagreed with the board’s legal interpretation and had provided a detailed legal analysis arguing that the platform operated lawfully under Illinois law.
The campaign later said it would donate the same amount to local charities after being asked about taking the money. The backlash also drew sharper criticism from gambling opponents, including Stop Predatory Gambling National Director Les Bernal, who called online gambling “gambling fentanyl” and likened donations from operators to taking money from drug cartels.
ARB Interactive has also hired an Illinois lobbying firm run by Dan Shomon. In a separate filing, an ARB Interactive employee gave $2,500 to state Rep. Bob Rita’s campaign fund on March 10.
