Press Release Club Hawthorne at Crestwood Opens Sportsbook
HAWTHORNE RACE COURSE OPENS ILLINOIS’ FIRST OFF-TRACK AND NON-CASINO SPORTSBOOK WITH POINTSBET: WED. JAN 27
Newly Remodeled Club Hawthorne in Suburban Crestwood Now Features Sports Betting, Horse Racing; Convenient Cash Wagering Bet-and-Go Service
January 26, 2021 (Stickney, IL) -- As Covid mitigation guidelines continue to ease, allowing for casinos to resume operations, Hawthorne Race Course and PointsBet have been approved by the Illinois Gaming Board to open the State’s first off-track and non-casino sportsbook beginning on Wednesday, January 27th. The newly remodeled Club Hawthorne in suburban Crestwood is part of Hawthorne’s off-tracking betting (OTB) network, and is the first of three such OTB locations that will open under Illinois’ sports betting law. The PointsBet Sportsbook at Hawthorne Race Course previously opened in September -- the first race track sportsbook in Illinois, and the closest sportsbook to downtown Chicago.
“Hawthorne is the only gaming company in the Chicagoland area that is able to open sportsbooks at off-track and non-casino locations, so this is an opportunity on which we focused a lot of energy and investment,” said Tim Carey, president and CEO of Hawthorne Race Course. “We completely remodeled the space to create the best sports viewing and sports betting destination in the State.”
The PointsBet Sportsbook at Club Hawthorne in Crestwood features a 163” Hero LED Video Wall and twenty-four 75” TVs bookending the viewing area, and a fully integrated, state-of-the-art sound system to create an arena-like experience. There are six self-service kiosks and five betting clerk stations, which are socially distanced and separated by plexiglass barriers. The venue features curbside parking and space for up to 500 people (when at full capacity post-COVID) with leather captain’s chairs, small group couches and highboy tables.
Additional HQ Photos - CLICK HERE
“As sports fans we all love the game, love the action, but we also love experiencing it with other fans,” said Johnny Aitken, CEO of PointsBet USA. “The unique opportunity to open a new-style of standalone sportsbooks with Hawthorne required us to develop something that would match the best-in-class customer experience that PointsBet provides on our mobile platform. This isn’t just the best sportsbook in Chicago, it’s the best sports bar too.”
The PointsBet Sportsbook at Club Hawthorne will also feature exclusive retail-only betting promotions and sweepstakes. Current health safety protocols provide for limited seating capacity which will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis; however bet-and-go services for cash wagering are available. The sportsbook will open from 12PM-10PM on weekdays and 10AM-10PM on weekends and is located at 13148 Rivercrest Dr, Crestwood, IL 60445, approximately a half-mile off Cicero Avenue at I-294.
About Hawthorne Race Course
Founded in 1891, Hawthorne Race Course is the oldest sporting venue in Illinois for America’s original sport: horseracing. For more than a century, the 4th generation family-owned and operated business has hosted racing on the border of the City as “Chicago’s hometown track” which is the only race course in the nation to host both Thoroughbred (Spring, Fall, Winter) and Standardbred racing (Summer). Hawthorne operates Illinois' largest network of off-track betting parlors which will also feature three PointsBet Sportsbooks, pending regulatory approval. On July 30, 2020, the Illinois Gaming Board approved Hawthorne to move forward with a $400 Million development of the State’s first race track casino. For more information visit HawthorneRaceCourse.com.
About PointsBet
PointsBet is one of the fastest growing sportsbooks in the country and is rapidly expanding its U.S. footprint, now bringing its best-in-market proprietary technology, modernized and premium brand mentality, expert trading practices and proven growth marketing strategies to both the Illinois sports betting market and the notoriously passionate Chicago-area sports fans. Originally founded in Australia, PointsBet is a cutting-edge bookmaker that prides itself on having the quickest and most user-friendly app (iOS and Android) while also providing the best content and experience for sports bettors. PointsBet is the only U.S. online bookmaker to offer PointsBetting – a unique and innovative way to bet – and has also introduced a slew of well-received, bettor-first initiatives. PointsBet offers the most markets on all four major U.S. sports (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL) and PointsBetting in the world, including up to 1,000 markets per NBA game.
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