I don't know if it has any relevance to all this but something that wasn't mentioned in the article is the following connection.

When Binion bought out The Empress he got boats in Indiana and Illinois in Joliet and Hammond(?). Illinois wouldn't give him a license to operate a casino in Illinois because of historical ties to organized crime. Indiana on the other hand didn't have a problem with Jack's background and approved of his license He was able to take over the Empress boat in Indiana but had to sell the boats in Joliet.

Argosy, who operates a boat in southern Illinois(?) purchased The Empress boats in Joliet and recently finished a major renovation of the property. The Illinois Boats are now a dockside Barge, I think, and retained the Empress name. The Indiana Boat(s) are Horshoe.

Argosy isn't mentioned as owning any properties in Illinois and the Binion ownership of Empress before Argosy and the sale of the Joliet proprty to Argosy also isn't mentioned. I wonder if the sale of the Joliet Boats had anything to do with developing some relationship where sale of other Horseshoe properties might have been discussed.

The moving of Binion HQ from Suburban Chicago to LV might have something to do with that sale of the Joliet property and Binions pulling out of Illinois.

Incidentally, a rumor that I heard while in LV in June was actually that Jack was thinking of buying back the LV casino. I stress again, That was a RUMOR. I think during a cab ride.