Report: Hawthorne won’t offer window betting on Ky. Derby

Hawthorne will not offer over-the-counter betting on Kentucky Derby 2025 or other Churchill Downs races, the Chicago Tribune reported.

The Chicago-area track is in a dispute over payments to Churchill Downs, according to the report. Normally, Hawthorne would pay for the Churchill Downs simulcast signal.

Hawthorne president and CEO Tim Carey said track officials are working to resolve the dispute and “are optimistic” the service will be available for the Derby, according to the report.

He said patrons will be able to watch the Derby broadcast at Hawthorne facilities and wager through online platforms.

Other racing officials told the Tribune the dispute stems from Hawthorne’s inability to get financing to open a casino at the track. It has been nearly six years since the Illinois legislature gave Hawthorne approval to build a casino, but financing has not come through.

Hawthorne received an estimated $450,000 last year for commissions for wagering on Churchill Downs, according to the report, and about $468,000 in prize money for races.

Signs at Hawthorne facilities didn’t address the Derby, according to the report, but indicated that they are not offering wagering on races at Turfway or Fair Grounds, which Churchill Downs owns, or at Oaklawn, for which Churchill Downs reportedly contracts to provide simulcast betting.