Published on: January 7, 2025, 05:02h.
Last updated on: January 7, 2025, 05:02h.
Forget going to Las Vegas, a proposed project might bring a casino, harness track, and a 60,000-square-foot sports complex to Decatur, Illinois, also known as the “Soybean Capital of the World.”
Decatur was not initially selected as one of the five locations for regional casino licenses in a significant gambling expansion bill signed by Governor J.B. Pritzker in 2019, but a newly proposed bill in the state legislature could grant a license for harness racing in Macon County, where Decatur is located, as reported by The Herald & Review.
The 2019 legislation not only allowed casino gaming in Chicago but also permitted racetracks in the state to transition into racinos to support the struggling industry. Six years later, not a single racino has opened its doors.
That’s about to change.
The former Fairmount Park Racetrack is preparing to launch a temporary gaming facility in the second quarter of this year, while the Decatur project aims to be operational by late 2026.
Revolutionary Racing
The new bill is expected to create an open bidding process for a Decatur license, with a specific candidate in mind.
Revolutionary Racing from Virginia has committed to investing $150 million in the Decatur venture, projecting the creation of 300 permanent jobs and up to $27 million in tax revenue.
Revolutionary Racing states on its website that it collaborates with lawmakers to modernize regulations and support horse racing while currently constructing an $80 million racetrack in Kentucky.
The developer indicated to the Herald & Review that they are targeting a fall 2026 opening for the proposed facility, pending approval of the legislation by the state legislature.
Lobbyists and legislators supporting the bill anticipate that it will be a top priority once the new legislative session commences, according to The Herald & Review.
Pressure on Hawthorne
The bill is also set to impose a deadline on the Hawthorne Race Course in Stickney, near Chicago, to construct its own racino.
Although the track received preliminary approval in 2019 to proceed with a racino project shortly after the enabling legislation was signed by Pritzker, the project has been on hold since demolition work began on its grandstand.
Last May, The Chicago Tribune reported that Hawthorne’s owners struggled to secure loans for the racino construction and owed substantial debts to contractors.
Hawthorne’s inactivity has hindered other potential projects due to the 2019 legislation granting the track veto power over new racetracks within a 35-mile radius.
The Illinois Harness Horsemen’s Association is supporting efforts to revoke Hawthorne’s veto authority.