The owners of Hawthorne Racecourse have said that if the track is granted Illinois' 10th casino license, it will erect a new, intimate racing facility, contrasted by the biggest sports bar in the state.
If a racino were to be incorporated into the Hawthorne mix, the horse racing industry in Illinois would receive a 15 per cent take of the revenue taken in via the casino gaming on site.
"We would demolish the present grandstand and build a racing facility for this day and age. It would be a smaller, more intimate facility to rival anything that's out there now," Hawthorne president Tim Carey was quoted as saying in an article on suburbanchicagonews.com.
Carey is also the representative of the proposed development partners, which, along with Hawthorne, includes Altium Development Group and Merit Management Group, both leaders in gaming, entertainment and retail development and management.
In the suburbanchicagonews.com article, Carey states that if the license is granted to Hawthorne, $20 million would be invested to get the casino up and running within six months.
"We also want to have the largest sports bar in Illinois," Carey said. "That's why we have Coach Mike Ditka as part of this project."
To read more about Hawthorne's bid, the amenities of the proposed racino and Mike Ditka's connection to the bid, click here.
To read the suburbanchicagonews.com article in its entirety, click here.
(With files from suburbanchicagonews.com)