DECATUR, IL (Chambana Today) – In the final stretch of the Illinois legislative session, lawmakers and horse racing advocates are pushing a renewed effort to revive the state’s long-declining horse racing industry. Backed by Sen. Patrick Joyce (D-Essex), Senate Bill 1473 aims to clear the way for a long-stalled “racino” in the south suburbs and approve a privately funded racing and gaming complex in Decatur.
The bill would roll back a key provision from a 2019 law that allowed Hawthorne Racecourse to veto any competing racetrack within 35 miles of its Stickney location — a move that advocates say has stifled industry growth. Despite being granted a license in 2019, Hawthorne has yet to begin development on its racino, citing financing issues.
The proposed Decatur site would include a racetrack, hotels, restaurants, a gaming facility, training center, and sports complex. Supporters argue the facility could provide an economic boon to central Illinois and revitalize horse racing, a once-thriving industry in the state.
“This is about jobs — breeders, trainers, vets, blacksmiths — they all depend on a healthy horse racing industry,” said Joyce during a Senate Executive Committee hearing Wednesday.
But the bill faces pushback from local small businesses in Decatur, many of which rely on revenue from existing video gambling terminals. Nearly 300 opponents submitted witness slips, fearing that a racino could oversaturate the market. Still, roughly 1,000 slips came in supporting the proposal.
Senate President Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) expressed frustration with Hawthorne’s delay, questioning how long the state should wait for action: “10, 20, 30 years?”
Governor JB Pritzker said he supports rural economic development but has yet to take a stance on the bill. Animal rights groups, including PETA, also remain critical of the industry, citing concerns over horse welfare and declining public interest in racing.