Illinois 104th General Assembly Status: Introduced 1 D cosponsors

SB2885      — HORSE RACING-VARIOUS

Last action — Rule 3-9(a) / Re-referred to Assignments

  1. 1
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been introduced in the Senate. Introduced January 16, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee referral and hearing.

Odds of enactment

Low chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a low chance of becoming law.

Upgrade to see the exact probability and what's driving it.

A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Not enough signal yet

Not enough signal yet to read this bill's trajectory — we surface a likelihood only once there's real movement (stage, sponsorship, committee, or votes) to point to.

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

In plain language

The bill updates regulations for horse racing in Illinois, including licensing and meeting documentation methods.

This bill amends the Illinois Horse Racing Act by allowing audio/video recordings of meetings instead of transcripts, tightening applicant background checks, and increasing application fees for horse race licenses. It also raises penalties for violations of the Act.

What this means for you
  • Small Business: Small businesses involved in horse racing may face higher application fees and stricter licensing requirements.

Summary

Amends the Illinois Horse Racing Act of 1975. Provides that the Illinois Racing Board, in lieu of obtaining a court reporter to make accurate transcriptions at each regular and special meeting and proceeding, shall create a verbatim record of each regular and special meeting in the form of an audio or video recording, unless an emergency situation precludes the creation of a transcript or recording. Allows the Board to refuse an occupation license to any person for any other just cause. Requires an applicant for an employment position as a pari-mutuel clerk, parking attendant, or security guard to include in the application whether the applicant has ever been convicted of any theft, fraud, wagering during the course of employment, touting, bookmaking, or any other act which is detrimental to the best interests of racing. Requires a licensee to forward a copy of the application form to the Board prior to extending an offer of employment to an applicant (rather than upon its decision to hire the applicant) and certify that it has checked the applicant's background. Removes language requiring the Board's review of an applicant to include an inquiry. Provides that no organization license may be granted to conduct a horse race meeting to any person who does not, at the time of application for the organization license, have plans certified by a licensed architect and confirmed financing for construction of a race track suitable for the type of racing intended to be held by the applicant and for the accommodation of the public on property that the applicant owns or has a contract or lease for possession of with completion scheduled before the meet applied for begins. Requires an application to conduct a horse race meeting to be delivered with a certified check or bank draft payable to the order of the Board for $10,000 (rather than $1,000). Allows the Board to impose civil penalties of up to $10,000 (rather than $5,000) for individuals and up to $25,000 (rather than $10,000) against licensees for each violation of the Act. Makes conforming and other changes. Effective immediately.

Bill Text

We don't have the full text on file for this bill yet.

Read SB2885 on the official Illinois source →

Action History

  1. Rule 3-9(a) / Re-referred to Assignments

  2. Rule 3-9(a) / Re-referred to Assignments

  3. Rule 2-10 Committee/3rd Reading Deadline Established As May 22, 2026

  4. Rule 2-10 Committee/3rd Reading Deadline Established As May 15, 2026

  5. Rule 2-10 Committee Deadline Established As April 24, 2026

  6. Rule 2-10 Committee Deadline Established As March 27, 2026

  7. To Gaming, Wagering, and Racing

  8. Assigned to Executive

  9. Referred to Assignments

  10. First Reading

  11. Filed with Secretary by Sen. Bill Cunningham

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

Export CSV (upgrade) →

1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 182 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (182)

182 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 182 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

public-safety housing labor
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does SB2885      do?
Amends the Illinois Horse Racing Act of 1975. Provides that the Illinois Racing Board, in lieu of obtaining a court reporter to make accurate transcriptions at each regular and special meeting and proceeding, shall create a verbatim record of each regular and special meeting in the form of an audio or video recording, unless an emergency situation precludes the creation of a transcript or recording. Allows the Board to refuse an occupation license to any person for any other just cause. Requires an applicant for an employment position as a pari-mutuel clerk, parking attendant, or security guard to include in the application whether the applicant has ever been convicted of any theft, fraud, wagering during the course of employment, touting, bookmaking, or any other act which is detrimental to the best interests of racing. Requires a licensee to forward a copy of the application form to the Board prior to extending an offer of employment to an applicant (rather than upon its decision to hire the applicant) and certify that it has checked the applicant's background. Removes language requiring the Board's review of an applicant to include an inquiry. Provides that no organization license may be granted to conduct a horse race meeting to any person who does not, at the time of application for the organization license, have plans certified by a licensed architect and confirmed financing for construction of a race track suitable for the type of racing intended to be held by the applicant and for the accommodation of the public on property that the applicant owns or has a contract or lease for possession of with completion scheduled before the meet applied for begins. Requires an application to conduct a horse race meeting to be delivered with a certified check or bank draft payable to the order of the Board for $10,000 (rather than $1,000). Allows the Board to impose civil penalties of up to $10,000 (rather than $5,000) for individuals and up to $25,000 (rather than $10,000) against licensees for each violation of the Act. Makes conforming and other changes. Effective immediately.
Who sponsors SB2885     ?
SB2885      is sponsored by Bill Cunningham (Democrat).
What is the current status of SB2885     ?
This bill has been introduced in the Senate. Introduced January 16, 2026. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track SB2885     ?
Track SB2885      free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

Make your voice heard on SB2885     

Find the representatives who decide this bill and tell them where you stand — for yourself, or mobilize your whole list in one click with One Click Politics advocacy software.

Find my representatives → Run a campaign

Stay ahead of SB2885     

Last checked for changes 3 months ago · updated continuously

One Click Politics tracks every bill in Congress and all 50 states.

Track this bill →