UPDATE: Gov. Pat Quinn has signed the bill into law.
Louisville-based Churchill Downs Inc. scored big wins against a deadline in the Illinois General Assembly with the passage of a bill to extend account wagering past the current Jan. 31 sunset.
The legislative OK — with a signature from Gov. Pat Quinn (he signed last year’s extension) — means its TwinSpires.com can do business in the Prairie State (avoiding last year’s temporary blackout) into 2017 and that the state’s tracks — including Churchill’s Arlington International Racecourse (aka Arlington Park) — will race their full schedules this year.
Associated Press file photo
To get all this, Churchill agreed to a surcharge on winning advance deposit wagering bets. That surcharge will help provide the funding for the Illinois Racing Board to do its work in 2014 (and allow Churchill to avoid taking the online hit it did during last year’s blackout by not getting any business in Illinois).
Here is Arlington’s statement (edited slightly):
“We hope the bill is sent to the governor quickly so that he can sign it and preserve the more than 35,000 jobs in the state dependent on a full horse racing schedule in Illinois,” said Arlington Park President Tony Petrillo. “With his signature many people can plan on going back to work knowing that there will be a full racing schedule in Illinois not only for 2014 but for the next several years as well.”
“We can now focus on maintaining unity and working to rebuild racing and create new opportunities that will bring more jobs and revenue to the State for the long term.”
And here is a link to the statement from Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association President Mike Campbell.
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