NYRA: VLTs OK at Aqueduct and Belmont

The New York Racing Association board of trustees on Wednesday announced it would support the introduction of video lottery terminals at Aqueduct and Belmont Park under conditions that would "further the racing industry in New York state."

Saratoga, located in upstate New York, is not in the mix.

"NYRA recognizes the need to remain competitive in a changing racing environment where other racetracks have significantly increased purses through slot machines and VLTs," NYRA chairman Barry Schwartz said in a statement released after the board meeting.

Schwartz said Saratoga "would not be an appropriate location for video lottery terminals. NYRA supports the Saratoga community's desire not to change the Saratoga experience with VLTs."

Talk of VLTs in New York began in earnest this year. An industry group commissioned a study into alternative gaming and revenue it might produce for the industry and the state.

Finger Lakes, the state's non-NYRA Thoroughbred track, as well as the state's Standardbred tracks, support alternative gaming.