Fairmount Park Slot Machines
The owners of an East St. Louis casino plan to purchase the struggling Fairmount Park racetrack, provided Illinois lawmakers agree to allow a gambling expansion that would bring slot machines to.
There's an on-going battle in Illinois over proposals to allow racetracks to install slot machines. I decided to put this discussion in the Business forum as opposed to the Metro East or Sports forum because this fight will have a significant effect on the Metro, both economically and culturally.Some background:
Fairmount Park president says bill amendment could doom track (Post-Dispatch):
http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/illi ... 8b37f.html
Lawmaker: Resolution needed on rift between casion, horse tracks (News Democrat)
http://www.bnd.com/2014/05/12/3204810/l ... -soon.html
State Rep. Bob Rita on with Charlie Brennan:
http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2014/06/03/ ... ph-spiess/
The recent legislative session ended with the latest amendment to the proposed bill failing to make it to the floor for a vote. This is a very complex issue as the debate encompasses the effects of tax revenues, the survival of horse racing in the St. Louis area, and the saturation of gambling in the metro. Recent proposals would allow all horse tracks in Illinois to install slot machines, with the exception of Fairmount Park. This would in effect be the death knell for the already struggling Fairmount. The argument in support of this proposal is that allowing Fairmount slot machines would take revenue from the Queen, which is responsible for 40% of East St. Louis's revenues.
Conversely, while arguing that excluding Fairmount is just simply not fair, backers of the race track argue that the track is responsible for 400 jobs directly and supports another 600 (trainers, vets, etc.). In addition to this, they also point to the importance of Fairmount to the Collinsville tourist industry in terms of hotels, restaurants, etc. and even local agriculture (food and hay for the horses, fertilizer for the farmers.)
Some alternate proposals that would allow Fairmount to install slot machines would require that the track's tax revenue be divided between Collinsville, East St. Louis, and Alton (for it's impact on the Argosy). One of these calls for Collinsville to receive only 10% of the revenue and for ESL and Alston to receive 45% each. A more sensible, in my opinion, proposal is one that would have Collinsville receive 50% and ESL and Alton 25% each.
As a Collinsvillian, I'm biased, but I think the closure of Fairmount Park would be a great loss for the entire region. Yes, Collinsville would feel the economic repercussions, but I think it would be an even greater cultural loss for Greater St. Louis. Perhaps I'm just nostalgic, but having a thoroughbred racetrack is a great asset to the region in terms of both entertainment and history. And on a personal note, I've had some great times at Fairmount Park and would much prefer going there over any casino. I would never go to Fairmount for the slot machines, but if those slot machines allow larger purses, which attracts better horses, that draw larger crowds and makes the whole horse racing experience better, then I'm all for it.
Something to keep in mind is that this is all part of the bigger battle going on throughout Illinois about the state's gambling industry and state revenue.
| Horse Race Track | |
|---|---|
| Fairmount Park | |
| Location | Collinsville, Illinois |
| Date opened | 1925 |
| Race type | Thoroughbred (current), harness (through 1999) |
| Website | Fairmount Park web site |
| Principal Races | |
| St. Louis Derby (no longer run) | |
Fairmount Park Racetrack is a horse racing track in Collinsville, Illinois, a part of the St. Louis metropolitan area. The track hosts Thoroughbredflat racing. It is one of three horse racing venues currently active in Illinois, and the only one outside the Chicago, Illinois metro area. The track also featured Standardbredharness racing, but discontinued it in 1999.[1]
Fairmount Park Slot Machines Jackpot
The track opened in 1925. The racing surface is a one-mile (1.6 km) dirt oval, with straight chutes for six furlong and 1¼ mile races.
Ogden Corporation bought the track in 1969.[2] In 2000, Ogden sold the track to Bill Stiritz, then the chairman of Ralston Purina.[3]
Fairmount Park offers simulcast wagering from tracks throughout the country. It also operates four off-track betting facilities in Alton, Carbondale, Springfield and Sauget, Illinois; a fifth OTB facility in Grayville, Illinois closed in early 2007.
As recently as 1997, Fairmount Park offered as many as 232 live racing days per year. But in recent years, the track has suffered greatly with the advent of riverboat casinos in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Racing dates have declined to 90 per year, on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
In 2007, track management announced a plan to build a 20,000-seat amphitheater at the track and expand live racing (including the reinstatement of harness racing), pending approval by state lawmakers to allow slot machines to be installed, similar to racinos in nearby locations.[4] When the legislature did not approve slots in its regular session, Fairmount management applied to the Illinois Racing Board for 90 days of live racing, but said that if lawmakers did not approve relief for horse tracks in its November veto session, the track would only run 60 days, citing declining attendance and betting handle, competition from casinos, and overpayment of the horsemen's account for purses.[5] The track's general manager claimed that purses at the track were less than half that of similar tracks in neighboring Kentucky and Indiana. The request was granted with those conditions intact.[1][6][7]
References[edit]
- ^ abBuss, Will (2007-09-21). 'Racing board grants Fairmount Park request; schedule might not be cut'. Belleville News-Democrat.[permanent dead link]
- ^Owner Of Waterford Selling Out
- ^New Owner For Fairmount Park
- ^'Fairmount Pushes for Slots'. OddsOnRacing.com. 2007-05-07.
- ^Roberts, Ken (2007-09-18). 'Fairmount Park considers a shorter season'. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Archived from the original on 2013-02-03.
- ^Buss, Will (2007-09-18). 'Fairmount Park pushes for season that lasts 90 days'. Belleville News-Democrat.[permanent dead link]
- ^Graber, Shane (2007-09-24). 'Fairmount Park: 'Everybody's worried''. St. Louis Post-Dispatch.[permanent dead link]
External links[edit]
Fairmount Park Slot Machines
Coordinates: 38°39′47″N90°2′8″W / 38.66306°N 90.03556°W