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It appears that if local racetracks are determined enough to get slot machines and they have state legislators on their side, they will find a way to get slot machines; even if the town they are in does not want them.  Such is the case with Arlington Park racetrack in Illinois.

Thanks to an amendment approved this week by the Illinois state senate, Arlington Park racetrack and other racing venues in the city may soon be operating as many as 1,000 slot machines.  They amendment puts the racetracks in bed with riverboat casinos.  The arrangement creates a relationship where the racing venues act more as the land lord for the slot machines.  The slot machines are legally owned and operated by the Riverboats. 

Of course the racetracks would get a healthy percentage of the revenues from the slot machines that would likely help the tracks increase the value of their racing purses.

The problem with the arrangement, especially in Arlington Heights, although the tracks are very excited about the slot machines, local government is not too keen on having slot machines operating in their community.

“There are a lot of problems with this bill, but one of them is requiring people I represent to accept something without having any input on it,” said state Senator Matt Murphy.  Murphy’s district includes Arlington Park.

“Forcing this down Arlington Heights' throat is not acceptable to me.”

Officials in Arlington Height have a long history of opposition to operating slot machines at Arlington Park.

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