VILLA PARK, Ill. (WLS) — Horse bettors won’t be lined up at the Hawthorne Race Course in the west suburbs on Saturday for the Kentucky Derby.
Hawthorne in Stickney is not offering window betting this year.
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There was a big crowd watching sports, including horse racing, Friday afternoon at Crazy Pour in Villa Park. They are expecting an even bigger crowd Saturday for horse racing’s biggest day, the Kentucky Derby.
“We have parties, reservations, large groups, everything part of this building is booked,” said Enzo Marino with Crazy Pour.
The restaurant hosts an Off Track Betting site, along with a sports book.
It’s a big day for serious and casual gamblers alike, but signs outside warn in advance that bettors won’t be able to place bets at the window. That’s because of a dispute between Hawthorne Park race track, which licenses the Off Track Betting, and Churchill Downs, which hosts the Kentucky Derby. Bettors can watch the race there, but they will have to place bets online.
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“When Hawthorne is not accepting bets in person, we’re leaving money on the table,” said Andrew Mack with the Illinois Harness Horsemen’s Association. “The state is losing out. The horsemen are losing out.”
Some Off Track Betting locations said they are also losing out on a portion of what they would make on the day. Operating partner Kristopher Gillis said he’s had cancellations at his company’s two OTB sites.
“We planned for the big party,” Gillis said. “Everyone wears their hats, make it an event, so to not be able to walk up to the counter and have help to place a bet.”
The dispute over payments began last fall, and Hawthorne Park and it’s partners have been unable to take bets and show the direct video feed of Churchill Downs races. They can still show video from other sources and take bets on races that don’t involve Churchill Downs.
“We may lose 10%, but most people are so used to doing everything on their phone these days to put a bet in is not the end of the world,” said Sergio Lazzara with Crazy Pour.
Hawthorne Park’s owners said they remain optimistic about the future of horse racing in Illinois, and they do expect to resolve their differences with Churchill Downs soon, just not in time for the Kentucky Derby.
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