Bidder: Churchill Downs Is ‘Protecting Rivers Casino,’ Not Illinois Horse Racing

Roy Arnold, the former president of Arlington International Racecourse and CEO of Endeavor Properties, led a group that paid $120 million to purchase the trail from Churchill Downs.

Arnold told the Chicago Tribune that his group was one of the three finalists for the track, but they have not heard anything from Churchill Downs in over a month.

Arnold believes that Churchill Downs is impeding someone from either continuing horse racing or introducing casino gambling at Arlington Park, which aligns with his team’s activities.

He declared:

The only reasoning I can come up with is that their motivation stems from a desire to restrict competition in order to safeguard Rivers Casino.

Churchill Downs has a substantial ownership interest in Rivers Casino, which is situated in Des Plaines.

Many believe that Churchill Downs is attempting to stifle competition by opposing horse racing and casino gambling in Arlington Heights, close to the popular Rivers Casino in Illinois.

The ITHA has requested that Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul investigate potential antitrust violations by Churchill Downs. If racing at Arlington Park were to end, Illinois would be left with only two remaining racetracks.

In a speech, Churchill Downs announced:

There have been many interested buyers for the house, and we are currently in the process of finalizing the sale. We have signed confidentiality agreements with all bidders to ensure a fair process, and we will honor these agreements by not discussing any details or speculations. CDI will provide updates on the sale to customers at the appropriate time.

This suggests that the Chicago Bears are a strong contender for the championship.

Bears are one of the suitors for Arlington Park.

At the beginning of the year, the Bears submitted a proposal for Arlington Park. While the specifics of the proposal remain undisclosed, there is speculation that they could be chosen as the preferred option.

First off, the Bears are not open to hosting horse races or casino gaming at their facility. While they may consider setting up a retail sportsbook, the concept doesn’t hold a candle to the potential for a full-fledged racino.

Additionally, smoking has been observed near Churchill Downs, the River, and Bears.

The Bears have announced BetRivers as their new official sports betting partner, replacing PointsBet. BetRivers is the sportsbook operator of Rivers Casino, which also serves as the official casino of the Bears.

Mike Ditka is the brand ambassador for BetRivers and his other business connections make him a great fit for the Bears, aligning well with what Churchill Downs is looking for.

We should expect to learn Churchill Downs’ decision in the coming weeks.

last days of Arlington’s horse race

Arlington Park has been the venue for purebred horse racing since 1927. It is probable that the garden held its last horse races on September 25.

There are six more racing dates left on the Arlington schedule, taking place on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of this week and last week. Races start at 2:25 p.m. CST and end at 6:30 p.m.

If Arlington were to close, the only horse racing tracks left in Illinois would be Hawthorne Race Course in Stickney and FanDuel Sportsbook & Horse Racing in Collinsville. Stickney is located near Chicago, while Collinsville is in the southwest region of the state.

Illinois horse racing fans will face challenges on September 25. Additionally, if Churchill Downs chooses the Bears, Chicagoland sports fans will feel a mix of happiness and sadness.