How’s this for an early centennial birthday gift?
FanDuel Sportsbook & Horse Racing, formerly known as Fairmount Park and dating back to 1925, has been tabbed for a massive, transformative makeover. The major expansion will be ongoing throughout the track’s 100th anniversary next year and spread a couple of years beyond.
Accel Entertainment announced a deal to purchase the Collinsville facility, about 15 miles east of St. Louis, and soon begin construction. It plans to pour nearly $100 million into the establishment to provide a temporary Illinois casino next year and a permanent one in 2027.
This is excellent news for horse racing, casino, and sports betting in Illinois and Missouri.
FanDuel Sportsbook & Horse Racing is thus poised to flourish, not merely survive.
Highlights of the Accel deal
The highlights of the Accel Entertainment deal include the following:
– Accel Entertainment will acquire this venue in a stock deal. The deal is valued at 3.45 million shares of Accel stock, translating to around $35 million based on recent averages.
– There are also plans to add a casino to the site.
– The temporary facility is expected to open in mid-2025 with 200 slot machines and four to six tables.
The permanent casino, which will have 500 slot machines, 24 tables, and a sportsbook, is targeted for a mid- to late-2027 opening.
– FanDuel Sportsbook & Horse Racing is the only active horse racing venue in the greater St. Louis area. It hosts 65 race days and about 435 horse races a year.
– Live racing unfolds on Tuesdays, 1 p.m., and Saturdays, 7:30 p.m., Central Standard Time. The season runs from April 16 to Nov. 16.
– The Illinois Racing Board and the Illinois Gaming Board must approve the deal. It is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter.
Accel adds vital casino tie-in to support the racetrack
Horse racing and betting purists love to see the Sport of Kings stay in the gambling fraternity. Facilities that don’t have a tie-in to a casino or sportsbook have perished in recent years. Revenues from sports betting and/or casinos are necessary to bolster purses.
Further, gaming involvement is a major step forward in Accel’s identity. The company owns and operates around 25,000 electronic gaming machines in 4,000 retail sites across seven states. It also services non-casino venues like bars and restaurants.
The buyout includes both Fairmount Holdings Inc. and its subsidiary, Fairmount Park Inc.
FanDuel is an excellent locals track
FanDuel Sportsbook & Horse Racing is a fun place to enjoy gambling without breaking the bank.
St. Louis is the major feeder market for a facility that knows its audience.
The afternoon cards are dubbed “Horse Hooky Tuesdays,” in which $1 hot dogs, $1 sodas, and $1.50 draft beers promote the program. The 1 p.m. CT first post entices some to “play hooky,” at least for the afternoon work segment.
The most recent Tuesday card featured something for the majority of betting levels. Although most fields were small, the $2 Pick 4 paid $3,434 because a 9-1 and 10-longshot hit the winner’s circle.
Pick 4 bettors can play the wager with confidence, as short-priced favorites encouraged gamblers to pick just one horse, or “single” their selections in some of the races. (The more horses selected, the higher the wager). That allowed them to be in contention on this ticket without having to bet much.
On Saturday, a 7:30 p.m. post, there are eight races. Purse total is $105,000, which is not bad. One race has a field of nine and another has eight.
The signature race of the season is the $250,000 St. Louis handicap on Aug. 24. It is conducted over 1 1-16 miles, is funded by local businesses, and has run since 1926.
Overall, there is enough horse racing here to make this facility a viable afternoon or evening out with the family. And like anything else, the more races one watches, the better chance to find a betting angle.
Besides live racing, gamblers can wager on legalized sports betting events and simulcasting from nationwide races. The facility listed 24 tracks bettors could access on Wednesday. There will be a healthy array of simulcast opportunities from around the world, on most days.
Sportsbook hours are 10 a.m.-midnight Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to midnight on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Sunday. Check with the establishment as hours occasionally change
Saturday races coincide with major simulcast opportunities
The Saturday live-racing cards will enable patrons to bet on major events like the Haskell Stakes this week from Monmouth Park in New Jersey via simulcast.
Other significant races include the Jim Dandy (July 27) and the Travers (Aug. 24 ) from Saratoga, along with the Breeders’ Cup (Nov 2) from Del Mar.
Melissa Helton, the president and general manager of FanDuel Sportsbook & Horse Racing, said the track had 9,000 fans to watch live racing and the simulcasted Kentucky Derby in early May.
Helton says the track plans a major, though still undetermined, celebration for the 100th birthday next year.
After that, the track will get bigger, and presumably better.
