Florida legislators are contemplating a invoice that might “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 via a 2018 poll referendum. Once the races had been forbidden, the tracks had been nonetheless allowed to function card rooms.
Under 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 might proceed working card video games with out the racing mandate.
The plan faces staunch opposition from the horse racing business. Industry proponents argue the proposal would decimate the business.
Trainer Jena Antonucci informed the committee that setting a timeline permitting tracks to get away from racing could be “nothing but a countdown to collapse.”
A Senate committee declined to listen to the same invoice within the higher chamber, however the House committee authorised it by a 17-9 margin. The Senate model would have set the timeframe for which tracks should supply racing at seven years.
Rep. Felicia Simone Robinson spoke in opposition, stating that Gulfstream obtained a on line casino license via a public referendum and that any change to that ought to come via the identical route.
“If this is to go any further with the decoupling, it needs to go back to the people,” she stated. “We should not be doing that here, because anything to do with what the people voted on is going against 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 monitor house owners to switch a license, which isn’t presently allowed.
“They can move their license to another facility,” he stated. “They can move their license to another individual. Under current law, if a track wanted to stop racing, it would not be able to do that, so racing would discontinue. If this bill passes, there’s an opportunity for someone else to pick up that license, or an opportunity for that permit holder to move it to another location.”
Over the previous a number of years, Florida has undergone a number of adjustments in its playing panorama.
In 2021, a brand new gaming compact with the Seminole Tribe allowed on-line sports activities betting and expanded playing choices at each pari-mutuels and Seminole-owned casinos. Now, legislators are pushing for a ban on sweepstakes casinos, which might clear the way in which for Seminole-owned on-line casinos.
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