Yet another US state could soon be offering online wagering on horse-racing, taking avantage of notorious carve-outs in federal anti-Internet gambling laws. After extensive debate, some predural sleight-of-hand and with the need for another source of tax revenue front-of-mind, the General Assembly passed measures permitting the introduction of online gambling over the weekend.
The legislation, which will empower eight horse thoroughbred and harness racing tracks in Illinois to provide online wagering services to state residents by partnering with Internet gaming sites, now awaits only Governor Patrick Quinn’s signature.
A major motivator for the measure is the new tax income it could generate to help plug a state financial deficit that could rise to over $11 billion by the end of the current fiscal year.