Iowa Casinos Can Terminate Greyhound Racing
Jun 3, 2014 10:36:13 GMT -5
Post by Deleted on Jun 3, 2014 10:36:13 GMT -5
From the Blood-Horse - this relates to greyhound racing, but it's a trend we've seen in other jurisdictions, and may continue.
Rhode Island allowed the casinos to discontinue greyhound racing and jai alai, the venues that got them their casino licenses in the first place. Ontario has removed slot machines from some race tracks (most notably Windsor Raceway and Fort Erie) and have "seized" the revenue generated at slots in all of the other tracks.
My prediction is that the next state that has some variation of this (i.e., slot machines totally independent of racing) will be in Florida.
www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/85459/iowa-casinos-can-terminate-greyhound-racing
Iowa Casinos Can Terminate Greyhound Racing
June 3, 2014 10:46 AM
By Dan Johnson
Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad May 31 signed into law a bill that will allow casinos to buy out dog racing.
Branstad had delayed signing the bill because of objections from Iowa horsemen over a provision that will let the Iowa Greyhound Association simulcast horse and dog races at Iowa casinos without guaranteeing any of the revenue go to purses for horse racing.
A week earlier he had said: "My concern, I think, the horse industry was left out of this." However, officials from Council Bluffs and Dubuque lobbied strongly for passage of the bill, saying the casinos were spending $13 million per year on Greyhound racing that could otherwise go to charity.
"While we wish something more could have been done, we understand Gov. Branstad's decision," said Jon Moss, executive director of the Iowa Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association. "The bill had passed the legislature overwhelmingly. He made it very clear that he expects the bill to be reopened at the beginning of next year."
The bill calls for ending Greyhound racing at Mystique Casino in Dubuque after this season and at Bluffs Run at Horseshoe Casino Jan. 1, 2016. The IGA will be able to sponsor future meets at Dubuque, but will be responsible for the costs.
The casinos will pay $72 million to Greyhound owners, half to fund the IGA's meets and half to owners that find homes for their retired dogs.
The biggest chunk of simulcast revenue comes from Bluffs Run, which draws from Omaha, Neb. More than $8.8 million was bet on horse simulcasts at Bluffs Run in 2013, while $972,000 was bet at Dubuque.
The horse and Greyhound interests tried to negotiate an agreement but were far apart. The IGA offered 10% of net revenues, while the Iowa HBPA wanted a third of net revenue or a phased-in rate that would reach 4 cents per dollar bet.
"The governor remains committed to Iowa's horse industry and would welcome legislation in the future to support it," Branstad spokesman Jimmy Centers told the Dubuque Herald.
Read more on BloodHorse.com: www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/85459/iowa-casinos-can-terminate-greyhound-racing#ixzz33ah4PCai
Rhode Island allowed the casinos to discontinue greyhound racing and jai alai, the venues that got them their casino licenses in the first place. Ontario has removed slot machines from some race tracks (most notably Windsor Raceway and Fort Erie) and have "seized" the revenue generated at slots in all of the other tracks.
My prediction is that the next state that has some variation of this (i.e., slot machines totally independent of racing) will be in Florida.
www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/85459/iowa-casinos-can-terminate-greyhound-racing
Iowa Casinos Can Terminate Greyhound Racing
June 3, 2014 10:46 AM
By Dan Johnson
Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad May 31 signed into law a bill that will allow casinos to buy out dog racing.
Branstad had delayed signing the bill because of objections from Iowa horsemen over a provision that will let the Iowa Greyhound Association simulcast horse and dog races at Iowa casinos without guaranteeing any of the revenue go to purses for horse racing.
A week earlier he had said: "My concern, I think, the horse industry was left out of this." However, officials from Council Bluffs and Dubuque lobbied strongly for passage of the bill, saying the casinos were spending $13 million per year on Greyhound racing that could otherwise go to charity.
"While we wish something more could have been done, we understand Gov. Branstad's decision," said Jon Moss, executive director of the Iowa Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association. "The bill had passed the legislature overwhelmingly. He made it very clear that he expects the bill to be reopened at the beginning of next year."
The bill calls for ending Greyhound racing at Mystique Casino in Dubuque after this season and at Bluffs Run at Horseshoe Casino Jan. 1, 2016. The IGA will be able to sponsor future meets at Dubuque, but will be responsible for the costs.
The casinos will pay $72 million to Greyhound owners, half to fund the IGA's meets and half to owners that find homes for their retired dogs.
The biggest chunk of simulcast revenue comes from Bluffs Run, which draws from Omaha, Neb. More than $8.8 million was bet on horse simulcasts at Bluffs Run in 2013, while $972,000 was bet at Dubuque.
The horse and Greyhound interests tried to negotiate an agreement but were far apart. The IGA offered 10% of net revenues, while the Iowa HBPA wanted a third of net revenue or a phased-in rate that would reach 4 cents per dollar bet.
"The governor remains committed to Iowa's horse industry and would welcome legislation in the future to support it," Branstad spokesman Jimmy Centers told the Dubuque Herald.
Read more on BloodHorse.com: www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/85459/iowa-casinos-can-terminate-greyhound-racing#ixzz33ah4PCai
