Hawthorne Race Course Temporarily Shuts Down, Fanatics Remains Up and Running in Illinois
The New Year has not brought good tidings to Hawthorne Race Course thus far.
The Illinois Racing Board (IRB) late Friday temporarily ordered the racetrack near Chicago, IL, to cease live racing and off-track betting operations for the weekend (Jan. 2-4) after horsemen at the track were issued checks for the second time with insufficient funds to cover purses.
The news has some wondering if the track’s financial troubles could trickle down to Fanatics, Hawthorne’s sports betting partner, although the app remains live in Illinois.
Hawthorne/Fanatics. You know me. Dog with a bone. It seems clear that Hawthorne is unable to renew their organization license. They are the “master sports wagering license” holder, not Fanatics. Fanatics is basically the hired help in this situation. Fanatics should be dark now
— SteveBrubaker (@stevebrubaker) January 4, 2026
The Illinois Harness Horsemen’s Association (IHHA) posted a statement by Jeff Davis, the association’s president, on Friday, Jan. 2 that checks had been recently returned unpaid by banks and that the situation was previously raised by IHHA before Christmas.
“Hawthorne has indicated to us that this issue is the result of a system or processing problem and that resubmitting checks will result in payment,” Davis said. “However, we have also heard from some horsemen that their banks are requiring a new check rather than allowing a re-deposit, and Hawthorne has issued replacement checks to some individuals.”
Bets Off at Hawthorne
The track was about to start the third month of its current harness racing meet (Nov. 7 through Feb. 15), running Friday through Sunday.
The Paulick Report reported that according to communications within the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association (ITHA) board of directors, Hawthorne failed to secure required bonds for 2026.
The dreaded sign on the door at one of Hawthorne’s 13 off-track betting locations was shared on social media platforms that read:
“We apologize for the inconvenience. Our pari-mutuel operations are temporarily shut down. There will be no wagering Saturday, January 3rd or Sunday, January 4th. Sportsbook wagering is currently operational.”
The track recently completed its latest thoroughbred meet (March 20-Nov. 3).
If the track is able to find a solution to its financial problems and if the Illinois Racing Board is satisfied, the track will move to a Saturday and Sunday schedule for the rest of the meeting, with a 3 p.m. first post starting this weekend.
At the time of this writing on Monday, the track’s website indicates that that will be the case.
Located seven miles from downtown Chicago, Hawthorne Race Course has been in operation since 1891 and is one of the oldest continually run racetracks in the nation.
Fanatics In Limbo in Illinois?
Fanatics Sportsbook is Hawthorne’s sports wagering partner and has four OTB locations throughout Chicagoland (Hawthorne, Crestwood, Villa Park, Prospect Heights.)
The company’s Illinois market access agreement with Hawthorne runs until September 2028 and was renewed by the IGB for an additional four years back in Sept. 2024.
While questions are being raised about Fanatics’ ability to operate in Illinois since it is tethered to a licensee that’s been shut down by the IGB, the Fanatics Sportsbook app does not appear to be affected, according to users in the state, and Fanatics spokesperson Kevin Hennessey confirmed the operator remains up and running in the state.
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