Gulfstream Park will have still another new look when it opens its season Jan. 3, 2008, and track president and general manager Bill Murphy says the latest changes come "from listening to what people wanted."
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Philadelphia Park Casino & Racetrack received approval for its master plan from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board Dec. 18 and now has a permanent license to operate slot machines.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment and the Pennsylvania Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association announced Dec. 10 they have extended their live racing contract at Philadelphia Park Casino and Racetrack for seven years, with Greenwood promising to make substantial improvements to the backstretch as well as revert most of the grandstand back to a venue for horseplayers.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino estimates its horse racing program ran a $29,215,000 deficit in 2006.
Friday, November 30, 2007Penn National Gaming Inc. said Nov. 28 it will not purchase Rosecroft Raceway, a Maryland harness track, in light of the fact the facility will not be eligible for slot machines under legislation passed by the Maryland General Assembly.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
The West Virginia Lottery Commission has authorized Mountaineer Casino Resort & Racetrack to conduct two nights of testing in preparation for the soon-to-be announced official opening of table games.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007Discussion by Kentucky lawmakers on a public television program revealed a split on casino gambling. Meanwhile, a legislative working group hopes to have a report on the issue ready for the state General Assembly by Feb. 1, 2008.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Maryland racing interests are optimistic over passage of legislation to authorize a statewide referendum on slot machines in November 2008, but they indicated there remains a need for financial relief before the slots measure even comes up for a vote.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007The Florida House of Representatives asked the state Supreme Court Nov. 19 to prevent Gov. Charlie Crist from implementing a Class III slot-machine deal with the Seminole Tribe of Florida without the legislature's approval.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
A California state senator says he expects to see tribal casinos develop an ownership stake in racetracks, leading to the potential for wagering devices such as Instant Racing or slot machines at racing facilities.
Monday, November 19, 2007
The Maryland legislature has approved a measure for a November 2008 referendum on slot machines, and also voted for a package that raises taxes in the state by $1.3 billion.
Monday, November 19, 2007The Maryland House of Delegates passed a measure Nov. 16 to authorize a November 2008 referendum on slot machines in the state.
Friday, November 16, 2007
The Maryland House of Delegates put off voting on whether the state should have a referendum on slot-machine gambling after a day of changes in the proposal Nov. 15. The issue is on the agenda when the House reconvenes Nov. 16.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Calder Race Course in South Florida has launched its campaign for the Jan. 29, 2008, Miami-Dade County vote on whether to allow Las Vegas-style slot machines at pari-mutuel facilities.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
In response to statements made by the Florida Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association in regard to purse cuts, Calder Race Course president Ken Dunn responded Nov. 11 by saying the decision was based on simple economics and was absolutely necessary based on decreased business during the month of October.
Sunday, November 11, 2007After a delay of several months, Greenwood Gaming & Entertainment presented plans for a stand-alone casino on the Philadelphia Park Casino & Racetrack property to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board Nov. 8.
Saturday, November 10, 2007A November 2008 referendum on allowing slot machines in the state was approved by the Maryland Senate the evening of Nov. 8.
Friday, November 09, 2007Delaware Park, one of Thoroughbred racing's pioneers in terms of combining racing and video gaming, ended its 2007 meet Nov. 4 with declines in total handle and field size, though purses paid increased about $1 million.
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Play at poker tables in their first few weeks of operation at Mountaineer Race Track & Gaming Resort has exceeded expectations.
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Democrat Steve Beshear, who supports a referendum on casino gambling and made it part of his campaign, easily won the race for governor of Kentucky in the Nov. 6 election.
Tuesday, November 06, 2007The legislative race for slot machines in Maryland hit fever pitch Nov. 2 with rallies in the state capital.
Friday, November 02, 2007
A new poker room and simulcast facility are open in the grandstand at Mountaineer Race Track & Gaming Resort, which earlier this year received state and county approval to add table games to its thousands of video lottery terminals.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Centaur Inc., owner of Hoosier Park in Indiana, closed Oct. 30 on a $1-billion financing package, almost half of which will be used to develop a slot-machine casino at Hoosier.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007With a special session of the Maryland legislature fast approaching, the Maryland racing and breeding industry is planning a major push for financial assistance in the form of slot machines.
Friday, October 26, 2007Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland signed into law legislation Oct. 25 banning the use of gaming devices throughout the Buckeye State.
Thursday, October 25, 2007The Indiana Horse Racing Commission has unanimously approved the Thoroughbred racing calendar for 2008, awarding 117 days for the state's horsemen at two racetracks.
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
People who live near Belmont Park got a chance to voice their opinions about the franchise to operate Thoroughbred racing at three tracks in New York.
Monday, October 01, 2007A court ruling has set the stage for a trial over whether slots can continue at Gulfstream Park and other Broward County pari-mutuel facilities.
Friday, September 28, 2007Michigan's horseracing industry, already reeling from decreases in revenue and the possible closure of Great Lakes Downs after this season, is facing an Oct. 1 shutdown should the state legislature fail to approve a budget.
Thursday, September 27, 2007If Maryland's Democratic Gov. Martin O'Malley gets his way with the notoriously restive Maryland legislature this fall, the state's horseracing fans may at long last find slot machines installed at Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007A Franklin County, Ohio, Common Pleas Court judge has ruled that slot machine-like devices are legal at Ohio's racetracks and bars.
Monday, September 24, 2007Fair Grounds in New Orleans, La., will open a temporary slot-machine facility Sept. 21, track president Randall Soth announced Sept. 7.
Friday, September 07, 2007The first race of the inaugural meet at Presque Isle Downs may very well tell the tale: There is lots of money up for grabs, and horses are coming from all over the place.
Thursday, August 30, 2007The first race of the inaugural meet at Presque Isle Downs may very well tell the tale: There is lots of money up for grabs, and horses are coming from all over the place.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007Hoosier Park officials were given the green light Aug. 21 to break ground on a proposed 92,000 square-foot slot-machine casino.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007An audit of a vote on table games at a Greyhound racetrack near Charleston, W.Va., showed the measure passed 23,192-22,849, but there has been a call for a recount.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Organizers of the first Oklahoma City Summer Thoroughbred Yearling Sale, which produced a sale-topper that sold for $50,000, indicated the results are a sign of good things to come.
Sunday, August 19, 2007Republican members of the Maryland House of Delegates have proposed a state budget that would limit growth in spending and derive hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue from slot machines to combat a $1.5-billion shortfall. There were no details on how the horse industry would benefit.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
The advent of a potentially strong competitor in western Pennsylvania might have minimal impact on the upcoming meet at Turfway Park, but track president Bob Elliston said it won't go unnoticed as far as Kentucky Thoroughbred racing is concerned.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007Though it was given the deadline of Aug. 10 to present a master plan for a stand-alone casino, Philadelphia Park Casino & Racetrack management told the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board it would take at least two more months before such plans could be completed.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007Contested election results indicate voters approved table games at a Kanawha County, W.Va., dog track located less than an hour from the eastern Kentucky border.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007The continuing decline in foal crops in Ohio has led the horse racing industry to step up lobbying for assistance from the state legislature.
Wednesday, August 01, 2007In terms of money, it will be Del Mar, Keeneland, and Saratoga in northwestern Pennsylvania when Presque Isle Downs offers an inaugural 25-night meet with an average of $500,000 per program in purses.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Deductions for a new breed development program and statewide workers' compensation have led Mountaineer Race Track & Gaming Resort to cut purses 20% across the board beginning July 10. The West Virginia track has thousands of video lottery terminals that produce purse revenue and this fall will begin operating table games.
Sunday, July 08, 2007Revenue from slot machines will allow Philadelphia Park Casino & Racetrack to raise purses 20% beginning with the July 14 program at the Pennsylvania track.
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Voters in a local referendum June 30 approved the addition of table games at Mountaineer Race Track & Gaming Resort, giving management and horsemen hope the new offerings will boost business at the West Virginia facility and perhaps increase interest in the live racing product.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
The company that owns Mountaineer Race Track & Gaming Resort is attempting to focus on its core holdings, and on June 30 will find out whether it can add table games at the West Virginia facility.
Thursday, June 28, 2007Wyandotte County, Kan., voters on June 26 approved a measure that will allow The Woodlands racetrack to install slot machines. The revenue eventually could push purses above the $200,000-per-day level at the once-bankrupt track.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007Two Indiana racetracks are buying land for the purpose of expanding their operations given the advent of slot machines.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007Two months after it petitioned the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to reclassify its grandstand as a permanent slots casino--a move that fueled speculation it was trying to renege on plans to build a $300-million, stand-alone casino on track property--Philadelphia Park Casino & Racetrack has asked that the petition be ignored.
Saturday, June 16, 2007