Tuesday, March 23

Legislative Update

The IHHA is committed to passing a fair slots bill for Illinois racing. The IHHA is not in favor of passing an unfair slots bill. In the days and weeks to come, negotiations will continue and we will press on to get a good deal for horsemen. On Wednesday, March 24th, our friends on the thoroughbred side will announce a deal they have struck with Hawthorne that provides them with millions of yearly dollars more than what Maywood, Balmoral and Arlington are endorsing in the Reps. Burns and Beaubien bill. We, as a Board, will review the thoroughbred deal, making sure that our interests are protected. If we find the thoroughbred agreement has merit, we will endorse it. We will not endorse it if it has fatal flaws for our industry. That’s just the right thing to do. This IHHA Board will not fall victim to the mistakes of racing’s past. By no means are we attempting to gouge the racetracks, we just want our fair share. Please continue checking back to this website for further updates.

Incidentally, phone calls to our office are running 10 to 1 in favor of standing firm and only agreeing to a deal that gives Illinois horsemen a fair deal that will lead Illinois racing into the future for years to come. Thanks for everyone’s input.

In case you missed it, a letter by Dave McCaffrey to the editor of the Chicago Sun-Times is posted below. It was a response to a previous letter arguing against slots at the track.