Horse Racing industry
fights fantasy sports bill
Message to
legislators: Fix horse racing first, create jobs
HINSDALE, Illinois – The Illinois Harness Horseman’s Association today decried
legislation that would legalize fantasy sports gambling while at the same time,
lawmakers have failed to support the horse racing industry which employs 14,000
people.
“Horsemen in Illinois are suffering at the same time that the sport is
flourishing in other states,” said Illinois Harness Horseman’s Association
President Marty Engel. “We’re grateful to legislators who passed gaming
legislation in 2012 but Governor Pat Quinn vetoed that bill. Let me be clear,
because of legislative inaction in the last four years, the industry has
suffered greatly.”
Meanwhile, Illinois legislators are currently considering legalizing fantasy
sports gambling. That legislation however, will do nothing for horse racing and
will grow no new jobs. Horse racing, on the other hand, is a proven job
creator. One horse creates jobs for as many as 10 people over its career.
That’s because horse racing is a labor intensive industry. Racehorses require
concentrated care from the breeding process to weaning and training and all of
the way through their retirement. The 16,000 jobs that have been lost since
2002 are in part a result of fewer foals being born. For example, in 2002 there
were 2,409 foals born in Illinois. That number dropped to 1,390 foals in 2010,
907 foals in 2014 and 796 foals in 2015. Thousands of Illinois horsemen have
left the Land of Lincoln for states with healthy horse racing industries like
Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York. Many other local horseman have joined
the ranks of the unemployed.
“People aren’t buying Illinois racehorses anymore because of the uncertainty in
the state,” said Standardbred horse breeder Rita Williams.
Horse racing states often incentivize breeding programs by offering special
races and higher winnings for horses bred in-state. People don’t want to buy
Illinois horses if they are going to race them in Indiana or Ohio because
Illinois bred horses can’t compete for as much money as horses bred in those
respective states. Illinois also offers breeding incentives but without bigger
purses from slot machines, people won’t compete here.
“It’s safer to buy Indiana or Ohio horses,” said Williams. “People aren’t
certain that Springfield will act to restore our sport in Illinois. A lot of
breeders are going to Indiana to breed their horses, it just makes more sense
for horsemen to go to other states in which horse racing thrives.”
If legislators continue to ignore the plight of horse racing, more trainers,
breeders, blacksmiths, hay and grain farmers, grooms and other industry workers
will move to states like Ohio where horse racing has exploded at the same time
that Illinois horse racing has imploded.
Comprehensive gambling legislation that passed out of the General Assembly in
2012 would have allowed racetracks to diversify by installing slot machines on
their property where people already come to gamble. Profits would be used in
part to boost purses for live racing, supporting thousands of jobs in the
process.
Most other horse racing states have already installed slot machines at their
racetracks, increasing their purses and leaving Illinois horse racing at a
disadvantage. The high purses attract horses, trainers and drivers.
Consequently, the breeding in those states flourishes. Horsemen implore
legislators to tweak the current Illinois horse racing laws and allow them to
compete with other horse racing states before legalizing fantasy sports
betting.
“It is tempting for legislators to go after new, quick money from fantasy
sports and ignore the current broken gaming landscape in Illinois,” said Engel.
“But if we are serious about growing jobs and getting our state back on track,
legislators should work to let horse racing prosper again. The landscape has
changed but horse racing is a proven job creator. We’ve seen it succeed before
and it is succeeding in other states. Let’s put these Illinoisans back to work
again.”
