Balmoral Racing Club, Inc. v. Topinka

In October 1999, plaintiff Hawthorne Race Course (Hawthorne) filed a complaint against defendants Illinois State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka, the Department of Revenue (Department), and the Illinois Racing Board (Racing Board) seeking an injunction and declaratory judgment. Hawthorne alleged that a 1999 amendment to the Illinois Horse Racing Act of 1975 (Racing Act) (230 ILCS 5/1 through 55 (West Supp. 1999)) creating a pari-mutuel tax credit was available to racetracks beginning in the year 1999. In December 1999, plaintiffs Balmoral Racing Club (Balmoral) and Maywood Park Trotting…