The decision, set for next month, could affect millions of dollars in bets and horse racing purses. Arlington owner Churchill Downs Inc. shut down the track permanently in September and has a preliminary agreement to sell the site for$ 197 million to the Chicago Bears.... They said the track is eligible under the law, and that precedent was set when the board allowed Balmoral and Maywood OTB licenses in 2016 despite running no races, and Arlington when it was temporarily closed in 1998 and 1999

The Chicago Bears’ bid to move to Arlington Heights seems legitimate, and not a bluff, the village mayor said Tuesday, after local officials acted to prohibit certain uses but allow a football stadium.“ I don’t think this is a negotiating tactic, ” Mayor Tom Hayes said.... Taxpayers reportedly are still on the hook for more than$ 1 billion in costs to renovate the stadium in 2001. Soldier Field holds 61, 500 fans, the fewest in the NFL.... The fact that they don’t own their stadium diminishes