Hialeah to Expand; Hopes to Add Thoroughbreds
Hialeah Park has announced a major expansion of its casino and indicated it will continue to work toward holding a Thoroughbred meet.
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Approval of Florida Dates Deal Seems Imminent
A report that Calder Casino & Race Course is preparing to close its poker room could be an indication that Calder and South Florida neighbor Gulfstream Park will soon receive state approval for their deal on racing dates.
Centaur Gets IHRC Approval to Refinance
The Indiana Horse Racing Commission June 26 granted approval to Centaur, which owns the two racetracks in the state, to proceed with refinancing that won't impact slots revenue that goes to purses and breed programs.
PA Audit: Ag Department Misused Racing Funds
The Pennsylvania racing fund, which pays for regulation of horse racing in the state, has been misused by the state Department of Agriculture and is close to bankruptcy, according to a state audit released June 18.
Penn REIT Has Agreement to Buy The Meadows
Gaming and Leisure Properties, a real estate investment trust spinoff of Penn National Gaming Inc., said May 14 it has an agreement to purchase The Meadows Racetrack and Casino in western Pennsylvania for $465 million.
HBPA Weighs In on Gulfstream-Calder Plan
The Florida Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association said May 9 it has given Gulfstream Park recommendations regarding a Gulfstream plan for ending head-to-head weekend racing with neighboring Calder.
NH House Votes Against Casino Legislation
The New Hampshire House of Representatives said no dice to casino gambling again May 7, handing supporters their third defeat in two months and dashing hopes that live Thoroughbred racing might return to Rockingham Park.
LA Lawmakers Blast CDI But Defer Bill Action
An official with Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots assured Louisiana lawmakers May 6 that owner Churchill Downs Inc. will make the improvements required under a conditional license it received from state racing commission.
Louisiana Grants One-Year License to CDI
The Louisiana State Racing Commission April 29 granted a one-year conditional license to Churchill Downs Inc. for Fair Grounds. The company must provide a list of improvements to be made in the next 60 days.
Louisiana Puts More Pressure on Fair Grounds
The Louisiana State Racing Commission has scheduled a special meeting for May 1 to consider the license Churchill Downs Inc. holds to operate Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots and a ring of OTB parlors with video poker.
Report: Slots-Fueled Purses in PA Down 6.5%
Total purses generated by slot machines in Pennsylvania in 2013 dropped 6.57% from the previous year according to a benchmark report released April 9 by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
Prairie Meadows Opposes Proposed Casino
Prairie Meadows Racetrack & Casino is opposing a proposed casino in Jefferson, Iowa, that it estimates would reduce its gaming revenue by nearly $13 million.
Ky. Bill Would Provide Path for Added Gaming
Kentucky lawmakers will have another option when considering a possible constitutional amendment to place before voters that would pave the way for casino gambling.
Fair Grounds Cuts Overnight Purses 10%
Overnight purses at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots have been reduced 10% for the rest of the current race meet, track officials said Feb. 20.
Hastings Has Three-Year Live Racing Deal
A multi-party agreement has paved the way for a three-year funding model for Hastings Racecourse in British Columbia, Canada, officials said Feb. 17. The 2014 Thoroughbred meet is expected to begin in late April or early May.
Pennsylvania Bill Would Gut Horse Racing Fund
A Pennsylvania lawmaker's proposal to gut the Race Horse Development Fund supported by revenue from slot machines generated a strong response from the Pennsylvania Equine Coalition.
Sponsors Tout Aspects of Kentucky Casino Bill
Casinos at five racetracks in Kentucky would generate about $86 million a year for the horse industry, a sponsor of expanded gambling legislation told the House Licensing and Occupations Committee Jan. 15.
Indiana Slots Deal Paves Way for Refinancing
Centaur Gaming and horse racing industry stakeholders have won approval for a long-term gaming revenue distribution agreement that will allow the company to refinance in 2014.
Hialeah May Push for Thoroughbred License
Hialeah Park has begun its fifth consecutive Quarter Horse racing season and is preparing for a year in which it might have its biggest chance yet to regain a Thoroughbred racing license.
IHRC Examining Allegations Involving Trust
The Indiana Horse Racing Commission is looking into allegations regarding expenditure of funds from the Indiana Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association Benefit Trust.
FTBOA to Panel: Allow Racing to Compete
Florida lawmakers should ensure the racing and breeding industry has the tools to compete in a competitive gambling market, the executive director of the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association said Nov. 4.
PA Senators Want Racing Regulation Overhauled
Four Pennsylvania state senators are seeking support for legislation that would put regulatory oversight of horse racing under the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board and make other changes in policy.
Gaming Revenue for Racing, But No Racetracks?
Horse racing will receive a share of gaming revenue from the casinos that will be built in Massachusetts, but during an Oct. 16 forum on the industry, stakeholders asked a question: What good is the money without racetracks?
Ontario to Give Racing $400M Over Five Years
The Ontario government said Oct. 11 it will provide up to $400 million to the horse racing industry in the province over a five-year period.
Indiana Downs Has Plans for Major Upgrade
It appears major changes are coming to Centaur Gaming-owned Indiana Downs in the form of facility upgrades and a closer working relationship between the track and horsemen's groups.
Fort Erie Submits Proposal to Continue Racing
The Fort Erie Live Racing Consortium said it has submitted a proposal to the Ontario provincial government's Horse Racing Transition Panel to continue live racing at Fort Erie for at least the next three years.
Horsemen Force Contract Issue With Calder
The Florida Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association has told Calder Casino & Race Course it will withhold its consent for simulcast approval effective July 25 because the group has no purse contract with the track.
NY Lawmakers Hope to Tweak Gambling Bill
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's plan to create gambling competition for racetrack-based casinos was a topic of an hour-long, closed-door meeting June 18 with legislative leaders trying to end the 2013 legislative session.
NJ Legislation Would Authorize Instant Racing
A New Jersey lawmaker has introduced a bill to authorize historical race wagering, also called Instant Racing, at racetracks, off-track wagering facilities, and casinos in the state.
PNGI Invests in Planned PA Racetrack Casino
Penn National Gaming Inc., in partnership with another company, has submitted a plan to build a racetrack casino in Lawrence County, Pa., not far from its proposed Hollywood Mahoning Valley Race Course near Youngstown, Ohio.
Illinois Gaming Expansion Comes Up Short
A major expansion of gaming in Illinois, including slot machines for tracks, was sidetracked again as lawmakers deadlocked on several key issues in the final day of their spring session.
Toronto Rejects Gaming Expansion at Woodbine
The Toronto City Council May 20 voted 24-20 against expansion of the gaming facility at Woodbine to include more slot machines and table games.
NH Panel Recommends Casino Bill Be Killed
The New Hampshire House subcommittee studying expanded gambling narrowly voted May 15 to recommend that the bill to allow one high-end, highly-regulated destination casino be killed, but the full House will have its say.
Long-Term Plan for Ontario Horse Racing Looms
After reaching short-term agreements with 11 of the province's 17 racetracks to continue live racing for 2013, the Ontario government is ready to map out a long-term plan for the industry.
Cuomo Touts Expansion of Casino Gambling
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said there is a big enough appetite for gambling in New York to permit the state to expand casino operations while protecting the interests of existing racetrack-based casinos.
Ohio Track Helps MTR Gaming Bottom Line
With strong assistance from its video lottery terminal operation at Scioto Downs in Ohio, MTR Gaming Group greatly reduced its net loss for the first quarter of 2013 compared with the same period in 2012.
Rockingham Plan Includes Redesigns for Racing
Millennium Gaming has upped its ante significantly for the casino project it hopes to develop at Rockingham Park, but the company hasn't decided whether live Thoroughbred racing will return should it win a gaming license.
Oaks Win Timely PR for PA Racing, Breeding
The Pennsylvania horse racing and breeding industry, currently concerned about a steady decline in the revenue it gets from slot machines, got some surprise public relations May 3 courtesy of the grade I Kentucky Oaks.
IL Racing Threatened by Legislative Stalling
Illinois racing dates may be vacated and laboratory operations curtailed if the state legislature does not quickly reauthorize advance deposit wagering, Illinois Racing Board officials said April 30.
Questions Linger for 2013 Woodbine Meet
After a year of uncertainty due to the cancellation of the Ontario slots-at-racetracks program, Woodbine is set to begin its 133-day Thoroughbred meet April 20.
Ontario Panel Wants Probe of Slots Decision
Members of the Ontario Public Accounts Committee passed a binding motion April 10 that calls for the Auditor General's office to investigate cancellation of the slots-at-racetracks program.
Handle on Live Pennsylvania Races Up 12%
Purses paid at six racetracks in Pennsylvania in 2012 increased 1% while wagering on the live product was up 12% from the previous year, according to the latest benchmark report prepared by regulators.
Fort Erie, Province Have Lease Agreement
The Ontario government said March 26 it has reached "tentative transition funding agreements" with Fort Erie and two harness tracks, Flamboro Downs and Georgian Downs.
Kansas Bill Designed to Get Tracks to Reopen
Legislation creating the Kansas Agriculture Opportunity Act would lower the tax rate on electronic gaming machines in an effort to get racetracks to install them, and also increase the amount of revenue for purses.
Extension of Ontario Slots Program Discussed
The Ontario Horse Racing Industry Association said March 19 it is "working closely" with Ontario lawmakers to extend the slots-at-racetracks program in the province.
Ontario Plans Partnership; No Details Yet
Woodbine Entertainment Group said March 8 it is "pleased" Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne plans a stronger partnership between the province and horse racing industry. But it remains to be seen how much revenue is at stake.
PA Group Continues to Warn of Revenue Decline
The Pennsylvania Equine Coalition, noting another monthly loss in revenue from slot machines at racetrack casinos, predicts an overall reduction of $17 million in the Race Horse Development Fund for fiscal year 2012-13.
Survey: Texas Losing Horsemen to Other States
A Texas HORSE survey shows 43% of owners, breeders, and trainers intend to reduce their investment in the state's racing in 2013 because of better opportunities in the surrounding states with gaming.
Racing at 'Rock' Hinges on Many Developments
Even if Rockingham Park were to win a casino license, a return of live Thoroughbred racing isn't guaranteed. It does remain part of the plan, said an official with a company that would pursue a license if gaming is legalized.
PA Group: End Diversion of Slots Revenue
A percentage of horsemen's revenue from slot machines in Pennsylvania will continue to go to the state's general fund and other programs under the fiscal year 2013-14 unveiled Feb. 7 by Gov. Tom Corbett.
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