The New Jersey Racing Commission Dec. 22 will consider a request by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority to yank the licenses of two off-track wagering facilities operated by private interests in the state.
Penn National Gaming Inc. said June 17 it has sued Greenwood Racing -- its partner in Freehold Raceway -- over its failure to build an off-track betting parlor in Camden County, N.J.
A battle over purse supplements for a New Jersey harness track that dates back to 2008 was resolved with the Feb. 6 announcement that purses at Freehold Raceway will increase by almost $5 million over the next year.
The New Jersey Racing Commission granted 2009 racing dates Nov. 19 for Atlantic City Race Course and Freehold Raceway, two tracks that have been involved in conflicts tied to casino-paid purse supplements.
An ugly dispute over purse supplements for a New Jersey harness track could have long-term ramifications as officials devise a plan for the future of horse racing in the Garden State, and it also sheds light on the complications that can arise when racing and gaming are linked.
Monmouth Park officials said two nearby off-track wagering parlors and skyrocketing gasoline prices have led to decreases in attendance and on-track handle nearly one month into the New Jersey racetrack's 2008 meet.
The New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority Board of Commissioners has named Lennon Register, a current Pennwood Racing executive, as senior vice president of racing, replacing Dennis Dowd, who was named to the position of senior vice president of legal and governmental affairs.
Pennwood Racing plans to open the first off-track wagering facility in New Jersey in early March. The Turf Club on Delsea Drive is located in Vineland in the southern portion of the state.
The New Jersey Assembly stepped up the pressure on the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority May 22 when it passed a resolution urging the agency to open off-track betting parlors that were authorized by a 1998 constitutional amendment legislatively enacted in 2001. Not one parlor has been built to date.
Almost $41.5 million in handle has passed through New Jersey Account Wagering, a joint venture of the New Jersey Sports Authority and Pennwood Racing, since its launch Oct. 28, 2004.
The New Jersey Racing Commission expects to consider a "participation agreement" for distribution of revenue from account and off-track wagering at an Aug. 18 meeting at which the stakeholders are expected to apply for a license to begin account betting.
A "master participation agreement" between the three entities that operate racetracks in New Jersey as to how they intend to divide the 15 potential off-track wagering sites in the state will be considered at the Feb. 18 meeting of the New Jersey Racing Commission. Approval of the deal is seen as the first step toward jump-starting the process of getting OTB parlors operational, perhaps by the end of the year.
State officials are set to approve a plan to create 15 off-track betting parlors in New Jersey. The plan follows legislation passed in 2001 and a voter referendum approved three years earlier.
After months of legal wrangling and negotiations, the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority is close to presenting the New Jersey Racing Commission with participation agreements between itself and two other racing companies in the state in regard to account and off-track wagering.
The former president of Pocono Downs has a plan to bring Standardbred racing back to the Delaware Valley, but some view his proposal as an attempt to cash in on slot machines should the Pennsylvania legislature approve such a measure.
At its monthly meeting at Meadowlands Wednesday, the New Jersey Racing Commission said it is prepared to advertise regulations regarding account and off-track wagering, the first step toward implementation since legislation was signed into law in August.
The New Jersey Racing Commission on Wednesday unanimously approved the sale of Atlantic City Race Course to Greenwood Racing for $13 million.
Pennwood Racing, which owns Freehold Raceway and figures in the mix as New Jersey prepares to launch account wagering and off-track betting systems, is looking to expand its holdings in the Garden State with the purchase of Atlantic City Race Course.
Bill Bork, the longtime racetrack executive who spent much of his time in Pennsylvania, where he even helped get old Pitt Park off the ground, will retire as president of Penn National Gaming in May. Richard Orbann, president of soon-to-close Garden State Park and a top official with Pennwood Racing, will take over for Bork.
The Thoroughbred community figured the April-early May meet at Garden State Park would be the track's last. But the Standardbred community was shocked to find out that this fall's harnesss meet wouldn't go. In fact, the New Jersey racetrack will shut down for good May 29, even for simulcasting.
