FanDuel Announces Plans in Illinois

FanDuel recently announced plans to offer retail sports betting at Fairmount Park in Illinois, but now more plans have been revealed.

After FanDuel is done making upgrades and improvements to the track, both the sports betting and horse racing industries in the Land of Lincoln are set to see a huge boost.

FanDuel is planning to invest millions of dollars into the racetrack located in Collinsville, Ill. The goal is to transform this area into one of the premier IL horse racing locations in the Midwest and also one of the top retail sportsbooks.

This racetrack is located just 12 miles from Missouri, and FanDuel should be able to attract a large number of bettors from that state, although there is plenty of competition in that area. Missouri has not yet legalized sports betting, and it doesn’t appear that anything will happen in the coming years.

FanDuel Sportsbook has already been live in Illinois since Aug. 28 as the operator partnered with Boyd Gaming to enter the market. Retail sports betting was previously available at the Par-A-Dice Casino in East Peoria, but that license has now been transferred to Fairmount Park.

Fairmount Park Racetrack has been in existence for 95 years, and it will now be called FanDuel Sportsbook and Horse Racing. This location will undergo some sweeping changes in the coming months to turn it into a premier sports betting location.

This is the first time that FanDuel has invested in a racetrack, but the company saw it as its best opportunity to become a leader in the state of Illinois.

Upgrades Planned at Historic Park

FanDuel has hired William Stirtz and Associates to make changes to the historic racetrack and also to build the new retail sportsbook. A timeline for this project has not yet been announced, but the company is expected to begin work soon.

The Illinois Gaming Board will have to continue to approve the license applications from FanDuel Sportsbook, but that group did say that the racetrack would qualify as a racino under the new agreement. This would allow for casino gaming to be offered at the establishment as well and would bring in even more revenue.

This new agreement will also bring the return of one of the most iconic horse races in the Midwest, but one that has not been run since 2006 due to financial constraints. The St. Louis Derby will return to the racetrack, and TVG will partner with FanDuel to put on the race.

There are just three horse racing tracks still operating in the state of Illinois, and Fairmount Park is one of them. This is the only location that is not located in the Chicago metro area, but its proximity to St. Louis establishes it is a great location.

The track has already been approved to offer 53 days of live racing in 2021, and that schedule is set to begin on April 27. The racetrack will also continue to simulcast other horse racing events that take place throughout the United States.

If you want to stay up to date on all sports betting in Illinois, then make sure you check back regularly on our news blog.

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