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player ready...A group of Arlington Heights clergymen and citizens seeking a referendum on gambling stepped up their efforts Thursday by challenging officials of Arlington International Racecourse to hold a town meeting on their financial status.
The Concerned Citizens for Self-Determination also announced a new petition drive to put on the November ballot a referendum asking if residents should be able to vote on expanding gambling in their village.
The group tried to place a similar referendum on Tuesday’s ballot but failed to secure enough signatures-they collected 1,700 of the required 4,400 signatures-under a January deadline.
Richard Duchossois, the politically influential millionaire who owns the horse-racing track, recently announced that he would seek state approval to bring a riverboat casino to the landlocked track.
Arlington officials said the track needs to place a riverboat casino in a man-made pond in order to compete with the riverboat casino industry.
Philip N. Crusius, a leader of Concerned Citizens, said Arlington officials should meet with residents if they believe they are in financial trouble and seek state approval to place a riverboat casino at the racetrack.