The one-variable non-symmetric Wilson polynomials are shown to coincide with the Bannai-Ito polynomials. The isomorphism between the corresponding degenerate double affine Hecke algebra of type $(C_1^{\vee}, C_1)$ and the Bannai-Ito algebra is established. The Bannai-Ito polynomials are seen to satisfy an orthogonality relation with respect to a positive-definite and continuous measure on the real line. A non-compact form of the Bannai-Ito algebra is introduced and a four-parameter family of its infinite-dimensional and self-adjoint representations is exhibited.