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Photography by Jeff Kubina, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Fairmount Park in Collinsville, Illinois, celebrated its biggest day of the year on May 2, during the Kentucky Derby. It offered live thoroughbred racing and simulcast wagering on the full card of races at Louisville's Churchill Downs.

For years, Illinois track owners have pleaded with the state legislature to approve slot machines at their venues, only to have bills stall or vetoed. The situation for Fairmount is even worse. Several bills that would legalize slot machine at thoroughbred tracks—with the exception of Fairmount—were filed last year, and another is on the way.

East St. Louis is so heavily dependent on the financial windfall from Casino Queen—with 40 percent of its budget coming from the casino—that legislators are hesitant to pass a bill that could move dollars to Collinsville. The Collinsville Chamber of Commerce and Friends of Fairmount organization refute that estimate and contend that East St. Louis would still receive the highest financial reward if slots machines are added at the track.

Outgoing East St. Louis Mayor Alvin Parks Jr. told the Associated Press, “The gambling market in the St. Louis metro area is just about at the point of saturation.” This includes the proliferation of slot machines in Illinois bars, gas stations, and other locations, after these locations were legalized several years ago.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, there are now 35 fewer race days at Fairmount Park than there were in 2007. That's down from 150 back in 2000, when the track dropped harness racing.

As this 90^th season of racing at Fairmount opened, track president Brian Zander told the Belleville News-Democrat, “[A] maiden race [at Fairmount] goes for $12,000, and the one at Arkansas [Oaklawn] goes for $25,000. What’s the difference? In Arkansas, they have a casino and other forms of gaming, and that’s really what we are competing with.”

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Two bills reached former Gov. Pat Quinn’s desk, only to be vetoed for various reasons. Newly elected Gov. Bruce Rauner’s press secretary, Catherine Kelly, said in a statement earlier this year that Rauner “believes decisions on gambling should be done in close consultation with local communities.” That seems to leave the loggerhead between East St. Louis and Collinsville in place.

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State Rep. Robert Rita (D–Blue Island) plans to file a bill similar to one that he penned last year, which does not include Fairmount in gaming positions but does allow new casinos in Chicago and four other Illinois locations.

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Should the bill pass without authorizing slots at Fairmount, the Collinsville Chamber of Commerce warns, “Fairmount would not be able to compete with the tracks in Cook County and neighboring states. That would mean, without a doubt, a reduction in the number of race nights. Fairmount would quickly go out of business.”