PA Fund Will Lose Only $5 Million This Year

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Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt

The Pennsylvania Equine Coalition said thank you to the state legislature July 2 for sparing most of the $72 million that could have been cut from the Pennsylvania Race Horse Development Fund.

The new state budget will take only $5 million from the fund, which provides purses and breed development money from slot machines. The $5 million will fund fairs and the state farm show.

"We thank the legislature for maintaining its commitment to the horse racing and breeding industry in Pennsylvania by properly funding for the Race Horse Development Fund," said Pete Peterson, spokesperson for the PEC, a statewide group representing more than 10,000 trainers, owners, and breeders. "Competitive purses and breeding incentives have created tens of thousands of jobs in Pennsylvania and spurred significant investment in the state's economy."

The PEC and its member groups launched a comprehensive outreach effort earlier this year to educate lawmakers on the importance of the slots funding to the industry.

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