Springfield, IL – The Illinois Senate on Oct. 30 passed legislation that would authorize a new Standardbred racetrack and casino in the Decatur area and remove the 35-mile veto ability of Hawthorne Race Course for a racetrack casino license available to various communities in Cook County.
A bill to that effect passed the Senate Executive Committee earlier this year just before the regular General Assembly session ended. It resurfaced during the recent fall veto session, was attached to legislation in the House of Representatives (HB 2724) and passed the Senate by a vote of 49-8.
The House did not act before the session ended, but it will be considered when the General Assembly reconvenes in January 2026.
“The bill is now with the House and only needs to be voted on by that chamber,” the Illinois Harness Horsemen’s Association announced to its membership. “Our focus now will turn to the January legislative session where we will work to pass the bill through the House.”
The Decatur (Macon County) harness track, proposed earlier this year by Revolutionary Racing, would have up to 900 gaming positions and the ability to offer Internet wagering on horse racing, according to the legislation. The bill repeats language from an earlier law that authorized a harness track in one of the following townships in Cook County—Bloom, Bremen, Calumet, Orland, Rich, Thornton, or Worth—as long it is outside the 35-mile radius of another racing license-holder, in this case Hawthorne.
Soon after legislation that authorized racetrack casinos passed in 2019, a harness track was planned for Tinley Park in Cook County, but it was scrapped because of issues surrounding one of the project’s partners.
The legislation states that with a new Standardbred facility in Cook County, Hawthorne “shall be limited to Thoroughbred racing under this act so that both horse racing breeds shall have dedicated facilities in the Chicagoland area and, thereby, enhance the overall economic benefit for the state.”
The Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association noted that the casino planned for Hawthorne has been stalled for six years and that it is “essential to the future of Thoroughbred horse racing in northern Illinois. If that vision had by now been implemented, Hawthorne would be a major entertainment destination with a casino and thriving Thoroughbred racetrack.”
Hawthorne officials this fall told the IRB they expected movement in that direction sometime in the fourth quarter of this year. The track was approved for only 34 Standardbred racing days in the winter and fall of 2026 and 63 for Thoroughbred racing in the spring, summer and fall.
The legislation also authorizes a backstretch assistance tax credit for qualified capital infrastructure improvements in stable areas such as renovation, repair or replacement of dormitories, stables and barns; utility systems; and environmental enhancements from January 2026 through December 2030. The program would offer a credit against the taxes paid by racetracks equal to 100% of eligible expenditures up to $9 million.
The Illinois Racing Board will determine the taxable expenditures and may implement rules to administer the tax credits.