§ 9

The Board shall have all powers necessary and proper to fully and effectively execute the provisions of this Act, including, but not limited to, the following: (a) The Board is vested with jurisdiction and supervision over all race meetings in this State, over all licensees doing business in this State, over all occupation licensees, and over all persons on the facilities of any licensee. Such jurisdiction shall include the power to issue licenses to the Illinois Department of Agriculture authorizing the pari-mutuel system of wagering on harness and Quarter Horse races held (1) at the Illinois State Fair in Sangamon County, and (2) at the DuQuoin State Fair in Perry County. The jurisdiction of the Board shall also include the power to issue licenses to county fairs which are eligible to receive funds pursuant to the Agricultural Fair Act, as now or hereafter amended, or their agents, authorizing the pari-mutuel system of wagering on horse races conducted at the county fairs receiving such licenses. Such licenses shall be governed by subsection (n) of this Section. Upon application, the Board shall issue a license to the Illinois Department of Agriculture to conduct harness and Quarter Horse races at the Illinois State Fair and at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds during the scheduled dates of each fair. The Board shall not require and the Department of Agriculture shall be exempt from the requirements of Sections 15.3, 18 and 19, paragraphs (a)(2), (b), (c), (d), (e), (e-5), (e-10), (f), (g), and (h) of Section 20, and Sections 21, 24 and 25. The Board and the Department of Agriculture may extend any or all of these exemptions to any contractor or agent engaged by the Department of Agriculture to conduct its race meetings when the Board determines that this would best serve the public interest and the interest of horse racing. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, it shall be lawful for any licensee to operate pari-mutuel wagering or contract with the Department of Agriculture to operate pari-mutuel wagering at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds or for the Department to enter into contracts with a licensee, employ its owners, employees or agents and employ such other occupation licensees as the Department deems necessary in connection with race meetings and wagerings. (b) The Board is vested with the full power to promulgate reasonable rules and regulations for the purpose of administering the provisions of this Act and to prescribe reasonable rules, regulations and conditions under which all horse race meetings or wagering in the State shall be conducted. Such reasonable rules and regulations are to provide for the prevention of practices detrimental to the public interest and to promote the best interests of horse racing and to impose penalties for violations thereof. (c) The Board, and any person or persons to whom it delegates this power, is vested with the power to enter the facilities and other places of business of any licensee to determine whether there has been compliance with the provisions of this Act and its rules and regulations. (d) The Board, and any person or persons to whom it delegates this power, is vested with the authority to investigate alleged violations of the provisions of this Act, its reasonable rules and regulations, orders and final decisions; the Board shall take appropriate disciplinary action against any licensee or occupation licensee for violation thereof or institute appropriate legal action for the enforcement thereof. (e) The Board, and any person or persons to whom it delegates this power, may eject or exclude from any race meeting or the facilities of any licensee, or any part thereof, any occupation licensee or any other individual whose conduct or reputation is such that his presence on those facilities may, in the opinion of the Board, call into question the honesty and integrity of horse racing or wagering or interfere with the orderly conduct of horse racing or wagering; provided, however, that no person shall be excluded or ejected from the facilities of any licensee solely on the grounds of race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, or sex. The power to eject or exclude an occupation licensee or other individual may be exercised for just cause by the licensee or the Board, subject to subsequent hearing by the Board as to the propriety of said exclusion. (f) The Board is vested with the power to acquire, establish, maintain and operate (or provide by contract to maintain and operate) testing laboratories and related facilities, for the purpose of conducting saliva, blood, urine and other tests on the horses run or to be run in any horse race meeting, including races run at county fairs, and to purchase all equipment and supplies deemed necessary or desirable in connection with any such testing laboratories and related facilities and all such tests. (g) The Board may require that the records, including financial or other statements of any licensee or any person affiliated with the licensee who is involved directly or indirectly in the activities of any licensee as regulated under this Act to the extent that those financial or other statements relate to such activities be kept in such manner as prescribed by the Board, and that Board employees shall have access to those records during reasonable business hours. Within 120 days of the end of its fiscal year, each licensee shall transmit to the Board an audit of the financial transactions and condition of the licensee's total operations. All audits shall be conducted by certified public accountants. Each certified public accountant must be registered in the State of Illinois under the Illinois Public Accounting Act. The compensation for each certified public accountant shall be paid directly by the licensee to the certified public accountant. A licensee shall also submit any other financial or related information the Board deems necessary to effectively administer this Act and all rules, regulations, and final decisions promulgated under this Act. (h) The Board shall name and appoint in the manner provided by the rules and regulations of the Board: an Executive Director; a State director of mutuels; State veterinarians and representatives to take saliva, blood, urine and other tests on horses; licensing personnel; revenue inspectors; and State seasonal employees (excluding admission ticket sellers and mutuel clerks). All of those named and appointed as provided in this subsection shall serve during the pleasure of the Board; their compensation shall be determined by the Board and be paid in the same manner as other employees of the Board under this Act. (i) The Board shall require that there shall be 3 stewards at each horse race meeting, at least 2 of whom shall be named and appointed by the Board. Stewards appointed or approved by the Board, while performing duties required by this Act or by the Board, shall be entitled to the same rights and immunities as granted to Board members and Board employees in Section 10 of this Act. (j) The Board may discharge any Board employee who fails or refuses for any reason to comply with the rules and regulations of the Board, or who, in the opinion of the Board, is guilty of fraud, dishonesty or who is proven to be incompetent. The Board shall have no right or power to determine who shall be officers, directors or employees of any licensee, or their salaries except the Board may, by rule, require that all or any officials or employees in charge of or whose duties relate to the actual running of races be approved by the Board. (k) The Board is vested with the power to appoint delegates to execute any of the powers granted to it under this Section for the purpose of administering this Act and any rules or regulations promulgated in accordance with this Act. (l) The Board is vested with the power to impose civil penalties of up to $5,000 against an individual and up to $10,000 against a licensee for each violation of any provision of this Act, any rules adopted by the Board, any order of the Board or any other action which, in the Board's discretion, is a detriment or impediment to horse racing or wagering. Beginning on the date when any organization licensee begins conducting gaming pursuant to an organization gaming license issued under the Illinois Gambling Act, the power granted to the Board pursuant to this subsection (l) shall authorize the Board to impose penalties of up to $10,000 against an individual and up to $25,000 against a licensee. All such civil penalties shall be deposited into the Horse Racing Fund. (m) The Board is vested with the power to prescribe a form to be used by licensees as an application for employment for employees of each licensee. (n) The Board shall have the power to issue a license to any county fair, or its agent, authorizing the conduct of the pari-mutuel system of wagering. The Board is vested with the full power to promulgate reasonable rules, regulations and conditions under which all horse race meetings licensed pursuant to this subsection shall be held and conducted, including rules, regulations and conditions for the conduct of the pari-mutuel system of wagering. The rules, regulations and conditions shall provide for the prevention of practices detrimental to the public interest and for the best interests of horse racing, and shall prescribe penalties for violations thereof. Any authority granted the Board under this Act shall extend to its jurisdiction and supervision over county fairs, or their agents, licensed pursuant to this subsection. However, the Board may waive any provision of this Act or its rules or regulations which would otherwise apply to such county fairs or their agents. (o) Whenever the Board is authorized or required by law to consider some aspect of criminal history record information for the purpose of carrying out its statutory powers and responsibilities, then, upon request and payment of fees in conformance with the requirements of Section 2605-400 of the Illinois State Police Law, the Illinois State Police is authorized to furnish, pursuant to positive identification, such information contained in State files as is necessary to fulfill the request. (p) To insure the convenience, comfort, and wagering accessibility of race track patrons, to provide for the maximization of State revenue, and to generate increases in purse allotments to the horsemen, the Board shall require any licensee to staff the pari-mutuel department with adequate personnel.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 101-31, eff. 6-28-19; 102-538, eff. 8-20-21.)