About a hundred people peered out from the stands on opening day at Arlington International Racecourse Friday afternoon -- the festive atmosphere coming at a time when the park continues its battle to get slot machines, a change it calls crucial for its survival.
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'The economic conditions in the sport and in Illinois haven't changed,' said Thom Serafin, spokesman for the racetrack. 'It's probably gotten worse.'
Last summer, Gov. Pat Quinn vetoed a proposal that, among other things, would have allowed up to 1,200 slots at the racetrack and additional casinos in the state.
It marked the closest the Arlington Heights icon -- which recently changed its name from Arlington Park to Arlington International Racecourse -- has ever come to getting permission to host slot machines. The gambling expansion would be an addition that track operators have long maintained is the only way the facility could compete with suburban casinos.
Although lawmakers vowed to override the veto, Quinn insisted on ethics regulations as part of the casino bill and no moves were made in the last General Assembly.
This week, just days before the track's opening day, the Illinois Senate rushed to approve another version of a casino bill that included some of Quinn's demands.
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Serafin said the racetrack continues to lobby for the proposal and remains hopeful that this will be the year for slots.
'Hopefully the legislature will follow through and the governor will follow through, and we'll have an opportunity to grow the industry,' Serafin said. 'Onward and upward, right?'
Braving the 40-degree weather and rain sprinkles in a mini dress and fanciful hat, Jane Hansen said she supported more gambling at Arlington International.
The 47-year-old Bloomingdale woman said she comes to the racetrack on opening day every year with her sister and best friend to dress up and have fun.
'I'd like to see craps tables, even,' Hensen said. 'It's exciting. (People) want lively entertainment.'
Fernando Marine, 34, of Bensenville, went to the free opening day with his wife and two children. He said his family enjoys the racetrack's family-friendly environment and doesn't think it would change with the addition of slots.
'(Slots are) a part of gambling, so I don't see why it hasn't been here yet,' Marine said.
Meanwhile, Phil Cook, 68, of Wilmette, said he'd only support slots at Arlington International if they were housed in a different part of the park.
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'It's noisy, and it's a different crowd,' Cook said. 'Casinos can be unsavory.'
Churchill Downs Incorporated, the owner of Arlington International Racecourse in Arlington Heights, Ill., announced Wednesday that the track did not apply to the Illinois Gaming Board for a slot machine and table game license under the recently enacted Illinois Gaming Act.
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“Notwithstanding our steadfast commitment to the Illinois Thoroughbred racing industry and despite the good faith intentions of everyone involved in the passage of the Illinois Gaming Act, the economic terms under which Arlington would be granted a casino gaming license do not provide an acceptable financial return and we cannot responsibly proceed,” said Bill Carstanjen, the CEO of CDI. “The Chicagoland market has seen a significant proliferation of video gaming terminals over the last several years and now faces the potential introduction of five new gaming facilities as well as increased gaming positions at existing casinos and video gaming outlets.
'Arlington would enter this market with an effective tax rate that would be approximately 17.5% to 20% higher than the existing Chicagoland casinos due to contributions to the Thoroughbred purse account. This disadvantage in a hyper-competitive gaming market, coupled with substantial licensing and reconciliation fees and new, unviable horse racing requirements in the Illinois Gaming Act, makes construction of a casino at Arlington financially untenable. It is with a heavy heart that we conclude that we can’t make this work.”
Arlington will conduct horse racing in 2020 and 2021 and also will apply for a sports betting license while longer-term alternatives are explored. CDI and the team at Arlington will continue to work with legislative and community stakeholders, as well as Arlington’s customers, employees and horsemen to find a solution that takes into account the many constituents across the state of Illinois who depend on horse racing for their livelihoods. All options will be considered, including moving the racing license to another community in the Chicagoland area or elsewhere in the state.
CDI remains heavily invested in the State of Illinois. Rivers Casino Des Plaines, of which CDI owns approximately 61%, has applied to add up to 800 new gaming positions and will expand its facility, which will provide incremental tax revenue to the state and job opportunities for its citizens.