Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed advance-deposit wagering legislation into law May 5.
The ADW legislation, known as SB 1282, which permits betting on horse and dog races by phone, will go into effect in 90 days. The law gives Turf Paradise the tools to be more competitive as 37 other states already have ADW.
SB 1282, authored by state Sen. Steve Pierce, an owner and breeder of race horses, passed the Arizona House 51-5 and then the Senate 23-3, April 24. The measure was one of the final two bills to be passed prior to the state Legislature's adjournment of the current session.
"We thank Sen. Pierce for shepherding this bill through the legislative process and Governor Brewer for signing it," said Turf Paradise general manager Vincent Francia. "The recent meet ended (May 4) with handle and attendance increases. Opening next meet with telephone account wagering will have a positive effect on the Arizona racing industry."
Turf Paradise's 152-day race meet closed Sunday. On Saturday more than 8,400 people attended the track's annual Derby Day party, which featured live local racing and a one-of-a-kind fashion contest.
The track's vital signs--handle and attendance--showed gains. All-sources handle was up 2%, $269,600,716 from $264,362,835 at the previous meet. And on-track attendance rose over 4%, 268,574 to 279,967, despite dropping a Friday racing date each week for Wednesdays. It was the fifth consecutive year on-track attendance showed an increase.
Live racing returns to Turf Paradise October 18.
