2002 - Harness Tracks of America, Inc.

HARNESS TRACKS OF AMERICA
Executive Newsletter
A daily fax and e-mail report on racing and gaming developments in North America and beyond
Stanley F. Bergstein, Editor
BORST BLOCKS INDIANA BILL
As a Sunday night deadline approaches, the fate
of pull-tab legislation for tracks in Indiana remains
in serious doubt. A former friend of racing and
one of Indiana’s most powerful legislators, Senate
Finance chairman Larry Borst, says he will not
accept proposals that expand gambling in the state,
and that includes the slot-like pull-tabs for Hoosier
Park and Indianapolis Downs. This stumbling
block appears key to any settlement in the Republican
controlled Senate and Democratic controlled
House by Sunday night, the deadline for
the special session to adjourn. Indiana’s governor,
Frank O’Bannon, has not indicated whether
he would veto a bill providing for the pull-tabs, but
one senator, Robert Weeks, said he thought
O’Bannon would let a bill with pull-tabs in it become
law without his signature. Whether such a
bill reaches O’Bannon’s desk is far from certain.
BAD SLOT NEWS IN OHIO, TOO
A special committee formed to study the impact of
gambling in Ohio is about to throw cold water on
the project. A draft report of the committee claims
the costs of problem gambling if slots were introduced
at Ohio tracks would outweigh the economic
benefits to the state, and also says it believes an
economic study on the issue done two years ago
overstated the economic benefits. The eight-member
committee is due to deliver the report to Gov.
Bob Taft by June 30, and three members say they
won’t agree to the committee recommendations.
Senator Louis Blessing, a Cincinnati Republican
and a prime backer of slots in Ohio, says the state
is losing huge sums of money through Ohioans
traveling to Indiana, West Virginia and other
nearby states to gamble, leaving the problems but
none of the potential benefits. As for economic
benefits, Blessing says he doesn’t
care if it’s $200 million or $500
million...he’s for it.
June 20, 2002
RACING CRISIS IN AUSTRALIA
Thoroughbred racing in Australia could come to a
halt on July 1 if no solution is found to the refusal
of insurance companies to cover jockeys in that
country. The situation has reached crisis proportions,
with the spokesman for the Australian Jockeys
Association saying, “If we don’t have a policy,
there won’t be any racing on the first of July.” A
spokesman for the Workers Union said talks with
insurance companies during the past week indicated
premiums could rise by 200%, if the companies
were willing to offer any coverage at all. The
jockeys had been covered for a total of $20 million,
with each paying $460 a year for that coverage.
They were told this year the premiums would
be $1,000 to $1,500 a year, if available. There
was a sell-off of shares in Australia’s listed betting
organizations -- TAB, Tabcorp and TAB
Queensland -- yesterday as investors braced for
the fallout from the stalemate. The issue affects
jockeys in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia
and Western Australia. Coverage expires
June 30 in all of those states, sites of the major
thoroughbred racing in the country.
NEW PICK 4 AT CHURCHILL
Churchill Downs has announced a series of new
Pick 4s, combining races at four of its far-flung
tracks. With a $1 minimum and 19% takeout, the
first three weekly rounds will include races from
Churchill, Calder Race Course, Arlington Park and
Hollywood Park. The fourth will combine races
from Calder, Arlington, Hollywood and Ellis Park.
EDGAR JOINS YOUBET BOARD
Former Illinois governor Jim Edgar has joined the
board of directors of Youbet.com. A longtime racing
enthusiast, Edgar breeds both harness horses
and thoroughbreds, and is a close personal friend
of USTA director and breeder Dr. Ken Walker.