Published on: January 5, 2026, 12:11h.
Updated on: January 5, 2026, 12:26h.
- Illinois Racing Board mandates Hawthorne to halt live racing and OTB operations
- Horsemen report bounced purse checks twice within weeks
- Shutdown leaves Illinois without live parimutuel racing for the time being
The troubled Hawthorne Race Course in Illinois has been instructed to stop live racing and suspend its off-track betting (OTB) operations. This decision follows complaints from horsemen participating in the ongoing harness meet, who stated that their race purse checks have bounced. Notably, sports betting operations have not been impacted.
The order from the Illinois Racing Board (IRB) on Friday leaves the state without live horse racing until Hawthorne can resume its operations.
Although the closure has been termed “temporary,” there is no specific timeline for when operations may resume. Regulators might require proof of financial stability before allowing racing to recommence, as state regulations mandate that tracks must have sufficient funds to guarantee purse payments to horsemen.
‘Embarrassing Failure’
Jeff Davis, president of the Illinois Harness Horsemen’s Association, communicated to the members that the checks were marked unpaid by banks for “the second time in just weeks.” He characterized the incident as “another embarrassing failure for Hawthorne Race Course.”
“We demand that Hawthorne provide a letter from their bank today confirming that these returned payments were indeed a glitch and not due to insufficient funds,” Davis emphasized.
“We cannot rely solely on Hawthorne’s assertion that this second instance of bounced checks is an isolated issue. The livelihoods of horsemen hinge on this funding, and we have moved beyond the stage where we can place trust in Hawthorne’s statements,” he remarked.
In 2019, Illinois passed a law allowing racetracks to apply for casino licenses. Later that year, Hawthorne received preliminary approval to proceed and began the demolition of its grandstand. However, the project is currently at a standstill.
The Chicago Tribune has reported that the track’s owners are struggling to obtain loans for the racino and have substantial debts to contractors.
Hawthorne’s stagnation has also hindered other projects, as regulators have hesitated to approve competing racetracks or casinos in that vicinity until the situation with Hawthorne is clarified.
Simulcasts Discontinued
In 2024 and 2025, simulcast organizations like Churchill Downs Inc. halted Hawthorne’s access to race signals due to unpaid settlement fees. As a result, bettors could not place wagers on races from key tracks via Hawthorne’s betting machines.
Currently, no other racetrack in Illinois is hosting live parimutuel horse racing, although Fairmount Park and Suburban Downs have been authorized to conduct races later this year.