103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB2908
 
Introduced 2/16/2023, by Rep. Robert "Bob" Rita
 
SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 

 
230 ILCS 5/19.5

     Amends the Illinois Horse Racing Act of 1975. Provides that before June 29, 2023, the additional organization license, issued by the Illinois Racing Board for standardbred racing to a racetrack located in specified townships of Cook County, shall not be issued within a 35-mile radius of another organization license issued by the Board, unless the person having operating control of such racetrack has given written consent to the organization licensee application, which consent must be filed with the Board at or prior to the time application is made.
  


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A BILL FOR
 

  
HB2908LRB103 05041 AMQ 50055 b


  
1    AN ACT concerning gaming.
  
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
 
3represented in the General Assembly:
  
 
 
4    Section 5. The Illinois Horse Racing Act of 1975 is 
5amended  by changing Section 19.5 as follows:
 
6    (230 ILCS 5/19.5)
7    Sec. 19.5. Standardbred racetrack in Cook County. 
8Notwithstanding anything in this Act to the contrary, in 
9addition to organization licenses issued by the Board on 
10December 17, 2021 (the effective date of Public Act 102-689) 
11this amendatory Act of the 101st General Assembly, the Board 
12shall issue an organization license limited to standardbred 
13racing to a racetrack located in one of the following 
14townships of Cook County: Bloom, Bremen, Calumet, Orland, 
15Rich, Thornton, or Worth. Before June 29, 2023, this  This 
16additional organization license shall not be issued within a 
1735-mile radius of another organization license issued by the 
18Board on the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 101st 
19General Assembly, unless the person having operating control 
20of such racetrack has given written consent to the 
21organization licensee applicant, which consent must be filed 
22with the Board at or prior to the time application is made. The 
23organization license application shall be submitted to the 
 
 
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1Board and the Board may grant the organization license at any 
2meeting of the Board. The Board shall examine the application 
3within 21 days after receipt of the application with respect 
4to its conformity with this Act and the rules adopted by the 
5Board. If the application does not comply with this Act or the 
6rules adopted by the Board, the application may be rejected 
7and an organization license refused to the applicant, or the 
8Board may, within 21 days after receipt of the application, 
9advise the applicant of the deficiencies of the application 
10under the Act or the rules of the Board and require the 
11submittal of an amended application within a reasonable time 
12determined by the Board; upon submittal of the amended 
13application by the applicant, the Board may consider the 
14application consistent with the process described in 
15subsection (e-5) of Section 20. If the application is found to 
16be in compliance with this Act and the rules of the Board, the 
17Board shall then issue an organization license to the 
18applicant. Once the organization license is granted, the 
19licensee shall have all of the current and future rights of 
20existing Illinois racetracks, including, but not limited to, 
21the ability to obtain an inter-track wagering license, the 
22ability to obtain inter-track wagering location licenses, the 
23ability to obtain an organization gaming license pursuant to 
24the Illinois Gambling Act with 1,200 gaming positions, and the 
25ability to offer Internet wagering on horse racing.

26(Source: P.A. 101-31, eff. 6-28-19; 102-689, eff. 12-17-21.)