Chicago Casino Executive Contributes $25,000 to Virginia Democrats PAC

Chicago-based casino magnate Neil Bluhm directed a $25,000 contribution on June 26, 2026, to Underground to Uplift PAC, a committee supporting a Virginia candidate. Bluhm serves as owner and partner at Rush Street Gaming, an Illinois firm with operations in the casino sector. Public records from the Virginia Public Access Project show Bluhm has provided a total of $100,000 in contributions tied to Virginia political activity. The recent payment marks his listed 2026 activity in the state.

Bluhm maintains extensive business interests in real estate and gaming, including ownership stakes in prominent Chicago properties such as 900 North Michigan and the Ritz-Carlton Chicago. His political giving history includes multiple contributions to federal candidates and committees over the past two decades. Recipients have encompassed Barack Obama Senate and presidential campaigns, Chuck Schumer Senate committee, and various Democratic-aligned PACs active in the 2024 cycle, such as Future Forward PAC and the Harris Victory Fund. Additional donations supported House Majority PAC and efforts involving senators including Sherrod Brown, Bob Casey, and Jon Tester.

State-level activity has also featured Bluhm contributions connected to gaming industry matters, including substantial sums directed toward Pennsylvania legislators during casino expansion discussions in 2025. Bluhm has simultaneously engaged in philanthropy, with cumulative gifts exceeding $135 million to Northwestern Medicine Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute since an initial $10 million donation in 2005. Those funds have supported heart care programs, research, and facility expansion at the Chicago institution.

The June 26 transfer to the Virginia PAC represents continued out-of-state involvement by the Illinois gaming executive in state-level contests. Records indicate no comparable Republican candidate support from Bluhm in recent cycles. Underground to Uplift PAC filings place the donation within its reported activity for the Virginia candidate it backs. Bluhm’s pattern of contributions underscores sustained engagement from the Rush Street Gaming principal across multiple jurisdictions.