Iowa’s top gambling regulator takes new job as Prairie Meadows senior vice president
Iowa's top gambling regulator is stepping down after two decades with the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, including 12 years as director, to take high-level job at Altoona's Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino.
Brian Ohorilko will serve as a senior vice president overseeing racing, human resources and food and beverage, Prairie Meadows CEO Gary Palmer announced at a Wednesday night Prairie Meadows board meeting.
The Polk County-owned racino was among organizations Ohorilko regulated as head of the agency overseeing casino licensing and other forms of gambling in Iowa.
Palmer, 77, who delayed retiring in 2022 and renewed his current contract through 2026, said Ohorilko's hire and others were are part of a succession plan. He did not say, however, if Ohorilko was to be his own successor.
Racing and Gaming Commission Operations Director Tina Eick was named as interim director after the announcement of Ohorilko's departure Tuesday. Ohorilko declined earlier Wednesday to tell the Des Moines Register what his new job would be.
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In his years as director, Ohorilko oversaw the legalization and exponential growth in recent years of sports betting, and his departure came at the end of a turbulent year that saw him publicly at odds with law enforcement agencies over a wide-sweeping probe into gambling by Iowa student athletes.
The commission commended Ohorilko in a statement.
“Brian has served our commission well and with great integrity. We appreciate his twenty years of public service to the state and wish him well as he returns to the private sector,” commission chair Daryl Olsen said.
Ohorilko reflects on career of transitions
In an email responding to questions from the Register, Ohorilko said legalized sports betting was only one of many changes during his tenure. They included casinos in Iowa transitioning from riverboats to land-based operations, greyhound racing ending in Dubuque at the state's sole remaining track and new federal regulations on horse racing.
The industry also had to stop and restart during the COVID-19 outbreak, among other challenges, he said.
"I think the most challenging issues for me would be going through the various licensing processes for communities that apply," Ohorilko said. "Those types of decisions are not easy for commission members, as there is strong local passion for all parties involved."
Sports betting has grown to a multibillion dollar industry since a federal law prohibiting it was struck down in 2018. Ohorilko said he believes Iowa has taken a careful and judicious approach to its legalization.
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"(Iowa's) statutes and regulations have been modeled by many states that implemented sports wagering after Iowa," he said. "Just like any new industry, we may continue to see regulations, technology and policy evolve over the next few years. That is a healthy and expected approach."
Gaming head had criticized gambling probe
Iowa gambling has been under a national spotlight this year after prosecutors charged more than a dozen people, nearly all current or former University of Iowa and Iowa State University student athletes, with underage gambling and other crimes.
The investigation was spearheaded by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. The Racing and Gaming Commission, which has authority over gambling operators, has said in statements it did not believe the alleged misconduct affected the integrity of betting markets.
In private, Ohorilko has suggested reservations about the prosecutions, which have been heavily criticized. The father of one the student athletes charged recorded several phone calls with Ohorilko, later introduced in transcript form in court, showing Ohorilko appearing to criticize the cases. Ohorilko told the parent that "a lot of people don't agree with how things were handled." He also agreed with the parent that allegations his son and other athletes made bets using someone else's gambling account ― drawing charges of identity theft ― seemed to be no more serious than logging on to someone else's Netflix account.
A number of athletes have taken plea deals or had charges dismissed, while several other cases remain pending. The NCAA also has investigated and levied suspensions and other penalties against student athletes for violating the association's rules.
Ohorilko told the Register the gambling probe had no impact on his decision to step down.
"It really just came down to me wanting to try some new challenges, and the timing felt right personally and professionally to do that at this time," he said. "Gambling regulation in the State of Iowa will continue to be in great hands!"
William Morris covers courts for the Des Moines Register. He can be contacted at wrmorris2@registermedia.com, 715-573-8166 or on Twitter at @DMRMorris.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa Racing and Gaming director leaves to work for Prairie Meadows
