Woman’s lawsuit accuses gambling entrepreneur of rape when both were teens
.jpg "Entrepreneur Jeff Rehberger is shown in a screenshot from an interview on his YouTube channel, “Jeffro,” where he discusses his experiences in gambling, marijuana and other industries.")
An anonymous woman has filed a civil lawsuit accusing Illinois gambling and cannabis entrepreneur Jeff Rehberger Jr. of raping her 20 years ago, when he was 17 and she was a 15-year-old minor.
Rehberger, 38, is a Highland native now based in the Chicago area and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Attorneys for the woman — referred to as “Jane Doe” — filed the lawsuit Oct. 21 in Cook County Circuit Court, alleging the rape occurred in July 2005 at a friend’s house.
“Defendant’s conduct ... was extreme and outrageous and went beyond all bounds of decency,” and it caused Doe to suffer “severe emotional stress,” the six-page complaint states.
The woman’s lead attorney, Mark Brown, of the Chicago firm Lane Brown LLC, declined to comment.
Rehberger could not be reached for comment. Communications consultant Randy Samborn sent the following statement on his behalf:
“Jeff Rehberger unequivocally denies the false accusations against him regarding events that allegedly occurred more than 20 years ago when both he and the plaintiff were minors. These specious allegations are hurtful, and he is taking them seriously by exploring all options to vigorously defend himself and vindicate his conduct and reputation.
“He is confident that the truth will prevail in court. Making anonymous, unsubstantiated allegations that are two decades old screams loudly that they are unreliable and lack credibility.”
Rehberger is the owner of Lucky Lincoln Gaming, which operates nearly 1,500 slot and poker machines in about 250 bars, gas stations and other establishments throughout Illinois, according to its website.
Rehberger also owns Cloud9 Cannabis, which has four marijuana dispensaries in Illinois, including one in Edwardsville, and other businesses.
A Cook County judge agreed to allow the woman to proceed with her lawsuit under a fictitious name, noting that her petition stated she suffers from significant psychological, psychiatric and other detrimental effects of the alleged sexual assault, and these would be heightened if her identity was revealed to friends, family and the community.
“The Court finds there is a compelling interest that favors Plaintiff’s right to privacy in keeping her name from the public and such right is superior to the public’s right of access to an open proceeding,” the judge wrote in his order.
No statute of limitations
The lawsuit accuses Rehberger of assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress and violation of the Illinois Gender Violence Act. Doe is seeking in excess of $50,000 for each of the five counts.
“Defendant’s unlawful actions caused Plaintiff to suffer lost income, lost paid expenses, medical and legal expenses, and severe emotional distress, including fear, humiliation, anxiety, and other medical conditions,” the complaint states.
Illinois has no statute of limitations for civil lawsuits involving childhood sexual abuse.
According to the Cook County complaint:
- Doe began dating Rehberger in 2004, when she was a 14-year-old freshman in high school.
- He allegedly subjected her to physical, emotional and sexual abuse.
- In early 2005, Doe ended their relationship.
- In July 2005, when Doe was 15, she agreed to ride in a vehicle with friends after being assured Rehberger wouldn’t be present.
- Doe was “shocked” to find him among the passengers when she entered the vehicle.
- The group went to a friend’s house, and Doe ended up isolated with Rehberger in the basement.
- He allegedly threatened her with bodily harm.
- Rehberger followed her outside and allegedly “violently raped” her.
“This assault was Plaintiff’s first experience with vaginal intercourse,” the complaint states.
Gambling, cannabis and more
Rehberger is CEO of the private-equity firm Vast, based in Puerto Rico. It’s an umbrella company that includes Lucky Lincoln Gaming, Cloud9 Cannabis and other interests ranging from real estate to solar power, cryptocurrency to coffee shops.
“I’ve led organizations from concept to multimillion-dollar operations, developed proprietary software, navigated complex regulatory frameworks, and built high-performing teams across Illinois and beyond,” Rehberger states on his LinkedIn page.
Lucky Lincoln is one of the largest operators of gambling “terminals” — poker and slot machines — in the state. In 2023, the company reported producing about $100 million in net income each year. Terminal operators keep about a third. The rest goes to local establishments and state and local governments.
The Illinois Gaming Board has spent eight years trying to revoke Rehberger’s license, alleging he violated state regulations.
The case, which includes three complaints from 2017, 2019 and 2023, has been undergoing an administrative review. Such reviews consist of court-like proceedings behind closed doors.
“The administrative law judge has issued a recommendation, and we expect it will be addressed by the Illinois Gaming Board during its Dec. 11 meeting,” said board spokeswoman Beth Kaufman.
Many of the 21 counts in the Gaming Board complaints relate to “inducements,” ranging from $5,000 cash payments to Rolex watches, that Lucky Lincoln allegedly offered to the owners of restaurants and other establishments for agreeing to install its poker and slot machines.
Other counts relate to Rehberger Jr.’s alleged improper relationship with a company co-owned by his father, Jeff Rehberger Sr., of Highland, which operates nearly 40 video-gambling lounges under the name Lacey’s Place. One is off South Belt West in unincorporated Belleville.
Rehberger Jr. hasn’t previously commented on the case. Samborn, his representative, sent the following statement on his behalf:
“After eight years and two evidentiary hearings, an experienced Administrative Law Judge in May 2025 issued a detailed 169-page Recommendation that the IGB rule in Lucky Lincoln’s favor on all but one minor count.
“The judge found that the IGB ‘did not present a preponderance of credible evidence showing that (Lucky Lincoln) committed any of the other violations alleged in any of the three complaints.’ The Recommendation remains pending before the Gaming Board.”
State officials have faced criticism for allowing Rehberger to obtain a highly competitive and lucrative license to sell marijuana, despite his trouble with the Gaming Board.
