Florida legislators are contemplating a invoice that may “decouple” the state’s two horse tracks’ playing licenses from their races.
Gulfstream Park in South Florida and Tampa Bay Downs are required to supply thoroughbred horse races to host different card video games.
The identical requirement utilized to Florida canine tracks, however voters banned canine racing by way of a 2018 poll referendum. As soon as the races have been forbidden, the tracks have been nonetheless allowed to function card rooms.
Below House Bill 1467, which was approved by a House subcommittee this week, the 2 horse tracks could be required to supply races for 5 years. Then, these venues may proceed working card video games with out the racing mandate.
The plan faces staunch opposition from the horse racing trade. Business proponents argue the proposal would decimate the trade.
Coach Jena Antonucci instructed the committee that setting a timeline permitting tracks to get away from racing could be “nothing however a countdown to break down.”
A Senate committee declined to listen to an analogous invoice within the higher chamber, however the Home committee accredited it by a 17-9 margin. The Senate model would have set the time-frame for which tracks should supply racing at seven years.
Rep. Felicia Simone Robinson spoke in opposition, stating that Gulfstream acquired a on line casino license by way of a public referendum and that any change to that ought to come by way of the identical route.
“If that is to go any additional with the decoupling, it wants to return to the folks,” she stated. “We shouldn’t be doing that right here, as a result of something to do with what the folks voted on goes in opposition to their vote.”
Rep. Adam Anderson, who represents a part of the Tampa space, co-sponsored the invoice. He famous that, regardless of the five-year minimal sundown clause for reside racing, tracks should nonetheless present a three-year discover of any plan to finish racing operations. He stated the invoice additionally permits observe house owners to switch a license, which isn’t at the moment allowed.
“They will transfer their license to a different facility,” he stated. “They will transfer their license to a different particular person. Below present legislation, if a observe wished to cease racing, it could not be capable to try this, so racing would discontinue. If this invoice passes, there’s a possibility for another person to choose up that license, or a possibility for that allow holder to maneuver it to a different location.”
Over the previous a number of years, Florida has undergone a number of modifications in its playing panorama.
In 2021, a new gaming compact with the Seminole Tribe allowed online sports betting and expanded playing choices at each pari-mutuels and Seminole-owned casinos. Now, legislators are pushing for a ban on sweepstakes casinos, which may clear the best way for Seminole-owned on-line casinos.
Pictures courtesy of Shutterstock
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