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Illinois Racing Dates Announced

September 21, 2007

The Illinois Racing Board has announced the 2008 Standardbred race dates, after approving a total of 310 live racing programs at three tracks.

Balmoral Park will open on Jan. 1 and race four nights per week, Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday, through June 23. The track will then resume racing, on the same weeknights, Aug. 9 through Dec. 31.

Maywood Park will offer racing each Thursday and Friday, from Jan. 3 through June 20, and then again between Aug. 8 and Dec. 26.

Hawthorne Racecourse will offer live racing, nightly except Monday, June 24 through Aug. 7.

Senate Considers Gambling Bill
Here is a look at the highlights of the plan the Illinois Senate considered Tuesday to fund a $13 billion capital construction program for road and school projects with massive gambling expansion:

Authorized one new publicly-owned, land-based casino in Chicago with 4,000 gaming positions.

Creates two new riverboat casinos with 1,200 gaming positions each whose locations will be decided by the Illinois Gaming Board.

Allows the Gaming Board to split up 6,000 new gaming positions at the nine existing riverboat casinos.

Splits spending from the money from three new casinos between construction (70%) and education (30%).

Charges riverboat casinos a tax paid to horse racing tracks for hurting their business.

Provides $200 million for Chicago's mass transit system and $30 million for downstate transportation systems.