Angry racing board demands Arlington decide whether it's a racetrack or 'only a gaming software ...

Weeks after the stunning announcement that the corporate owners of Arlington International Racecourse won’t pursue a newly authorized casino license, state horse racing regulators on Tuesday reamed the president of the suburban track for passing on the gambling jackpot that had long been sought as a financial lifesaver for the struggling industry. Churchill Downs Inc. last month blamed high taxes, a saturated gambling market and required contributions to a state thoroughbred purse fund as reasons not to invest in up to 1,200 slots and table games allowed at Arlington under the state’s new gambling expansion law. Illinois Racing Board commissioner Thomas McCauley called that “nonsense.”