Hawthorne Race Course Faces Mounting Pressure as Racino Prospects Wear Thin

Hawthorne Race Course is once again struggling to maintain its credibility, facing rising pressure from regulators, horsemen, and lawmakers who are running out of patience. The Illinois Racing Board recently suspended the venue’s harness license, pushing the Stickney track into its deepest crisis in years. This development also raises doubts about whether its planned racino project will ever materialize.

Several Issues Pose an Immediate Danger

For more than five years, Hawthorne has held one of the most valuable and controversial positions in the Illinois gambling sector. The state’s 2019 gambling expansion law granted the track permission to add casino gaming as an additional lifeline to counteract shrinking revenues and declining participation. However, the project stalled. Financing never materialized, timelines slipped, and confidence eroded.

The recent developments may have doomed the racino project. The Racing Board’s decision to suspend Hawthorne’s harness license stemmed from the venue’s failure to demonstrate financial integrity. Regulators stated they could no longer ignore missed paperwork, canceled race days, and the inability to post required surety bonds.

Horse owners and trainers report that more than half a million dollars in purse checks have bounced since last summer. Racing has now been canceled for a third consecutive weekend, leaving livelihoods in jeopardy. According to Hawthorne management, the problem stems from a frozen bank account, not from missing money. However, these assurances are wearing thin after months of problems.

Management Remains Optimistic

The situation is even more complicated due to Hawthorne’s disproportionate influence over Illinois racing. Under the 2019 law, the track may veto any new racing facility proposed within 35 miles. Horsemen have long argued that Hawthorne’s failure to complete its racino expansion has frozen competition and delayed broader revitalization of the sport.

Despite the rising controversy, Hawthorne general manager John Walsh remained optimistic. He noted that the venue was working with a new, unnamed local partner described as motivated and ready to move quickly. He added that tangible progress could be revealed by mid-February, with harness racing resuming later that month and thoroughbred racing launching on schedule in late March.

I’ve never been so optimistic in the last four years. We’re working with a new partner, someone nearby, who really wants all of this to succeed and move quickly.

John Walsh, Hawthorne general manager

Regulators remain doubtful. Racing Board members required tangible evidence, arguing that optimism without proof no longer carries weight. Even as Hawthorne management signals steady interest from thoroughbred owners, the Board has postponed approval of racing officials for the 2026 season until March. While Hawthorne has survived for more than a century, its future now depends less on ambition and more on evidence.