Illinois Horsemen Call For Antitrust Investigation Into Churchill Downs

The Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen & rsquo, s Association ( ITHA ) requests that Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul investigate any potential violations of Churchill Downs Inc. ‘ s antitrust laws.

This is due to Churchill’s decision to bypass the Arlington International Racecourse and instead pursue a racino.

Several years ago, Churchill Downs acquired a 61% share in the neighboring Rivers Casino. Since then, it has reversed its stance on permitting board games and other games at the Arlington track. Before the directive from Rivers, Churchill had championed blackjack gambling for two decades. However, in 2019, they began to resist this idea.

ITHA president Mike Campbell (pictured above) sent a letter to the office of Raoul, requesting him to investigate whether Churchill has violated any state or federal antitrust laws.

Campbell wrote, as reported by the Daily Herald:

Reports suggest that Churchill executives were allegedly devising a plan to thwart existing and potential gaming scenarios at Arlington. They were simultaneously sending out misleading messages to distract from their main objective, which was to safeguard Rivers from a looming major gaming competitor. We respectfully propose that it would be beneficial to evaluate whether Churchill’s actions crossed the line into illegal anticompetitive behaviour.

Arlington Park is less than 20 minutes away from Rivers Casino.

Churchill Downs replied as follows:

“Churchill Downs Incorporated examined the Illinois Gaming Act and determined that Arlington International Racecourse couldn’t afford to pursue a gaming license. As announced earlier this year, CDI has hired a real estate brokerage to promote the property and expects to receive proposals by the end of next month. Despite the unfounded accusations from ITHA, we have no plans to abandon this strategy.”

Earlier this year, Churchill Downs officially listed Arlington Park for sale.

“According to Campbell, our state does not exist to satisfy Churchill’s greed. He likens it to a ‘trough.’ Campbell also stated that Illinois is not an ‘Andlquo.’ He emphasized that a gaming license, such as the one Rivers Casino holds, is a privilege, not a right.”

Churchill Downs and Arlington Heights are even fighting.

In May, measures were taken by the city of Arlington Heights to preserve horse racing and gaming at the park.

The city’s village board approved an ordinance that prevents Churchill Downs from imposing a restrictive covenant related to horse racing and gambling on the land.

Churchill continues to oversee the result of the sale. Nonetheless, city authorities are laboring to prevent future usages such as organized offices, mortuaries, adult-oriented businesses, and car washes.

Last month, Arlington Heights Mayor Tom Hayes shared his vision for the land with the Daily Herald.

“As a responsible community with 326 acres of prime real estate available for sale within our boundaries, we must take all essential measures and precautions to ensure the development is of the highest quality. We are trying to attract serious investors who aim to transform this outstanding real estate into something suitable for our neighborhood and the surrounding area.”

Outside of Arlington Park in Illinois, there aren’t many other locations for horse racing.

The other two tracks are FanDuel Sportsbook & amp, located in Collinsville, Southern Illinois, and Hawthorne Race Course in Stickney. Collinsville is situated in Southern Illinois, and it’s also home to Horse Racing.

The Chicago Bears might relocate to Arlington Park.

Over the past few months, it’s likely that Illinoisans have heard a lot of buzz about Arlington Park-Bears.

The Bears could potentially host an event such as the Super Bowl in an Arlington Park arena. However, they won’t have the same opportunity at Soldier Field.

An appropriate coach stop in Arlington Heights is situated just a short distance from the park. This could potentially ease the transition of leaving the city of Chicago.

Soldier Field and the Bears have a licensing agreement that lasts until 2033. However, with sufficient funds and determination, such leases can be easily terminated.

Furthermore, Mayor Hayes expressed that he would heartily welcome the Bears to Arlington Heights. Undeniably, any city would consider an NFL franchise a financial boon.