2005 - Harness Tracks of America, Inc.

HARNESS TRACKS OF AMERICAExecutive NewsletterA daily fax and e-mail report on racing and gaming developments in North America and beyondStanley F. Bergstein, EditorA SETBACK FOR THE ISLEIllinois governor Rod Blagojevich’s new IllinoisGaming Board, appointed because the governorwas unhappy with the old one and its decisions,has reopened the Emerald Casino issue. Thisdispute has been ongoing for eight years, and appearedresolved last year when Isle of Capriagreed to pay bankrupt Emerald $518 million forits license, the 10th and final casino license inIllinois. The state attorney general, LisaMadigan, immediately vowed to undo the oldboard’s 4-1 vote to allow Isle of Capri to buy thecasino, claiming mob ties in Rosemont, and hasmade good on her vow at least to the extent ofdragging the matter back for review. Illinois,meanwhile, loses hundreds of millions a year whilethe political haggling goes on. The chairman ofthe new gaming board, Aaron Jaffe, says theboard will resume a long-suspended disciplinaryhearing aimed at stripping the license from Emerald,and has appointed a respected and reformmindedformer Chicago federal judge, AbnerMikva, to preside over the revocation process.Chicago Business reports that if Emerald’s licenseis revoked, it could “effectively end effortsof Mississippi-based Isle of Capri Casinos to buythe license and open a casino in Northwest suburbanRosemont.” Chairman Jaffe insists he isnot trying to punish Isle of Capri, but LesMcMackin, Isle of Capri’s senior vice presidentof marketing and communications, says, “It’sgoing to add more time to the process, and onceagain impedes the ability for this license to generateanything positive for the state.”PENN NATIONAL NOT WAITINGPenn National Gaming, not choosing to wait untilit can get Bangor Raceway rebuilt into a racino, isbuying a restaurant overlooking the Bangor waterfrontfor $3.8 million and hopes to opena temporary facility with 475 slots by Novemberor December.April 15, 2005RACING SAYS WHOA TO GAMESHTA member Plainridge Racecourse and SuffolkDowns in Massachusetts are deeply upset overplans of the Massachusetts State Lottery to introducenew virtual horse racing games in thestate. The Lottery announced it was adding thesimulated race games “as just another way to generaterandom numbers for a game, like keno,”and Lottery spokesman Joe Sullivan says, “Thisis animation. It is not any form of live action. Itis not any form of an actual race. It is not offtrackbetting. It is not a simulcast.” The trackssee it in a totally different light. Plainridge presidentGary Piontkowski said, “It is a simulcast,and the idea of putting these into venues aroundMassachusetts is off-track betting. Make no mistakeabout it. That’s what it is.” His view wasshared by Bob O’Malley, COO of Suffolk Downs,who said, “I think the new game is going to lookexactly like a simulcast race. The images of thehorses on the video screen will be scaled to lookexactly like what we do.” Perhaps most significantof all, State Senator Michael W. Morrissey,chairman of the Joint Committee on ConsumerProtection and Professional Licensure, whichoversees the state lottery, said, “It may look alittle cartoonish, but isn’t it just off-track betting?If it is, shouldn’t we just send live signals to thebars and restaurants so they can do actual simulcastbetting?”TOTAL DETENTION FOR DALEYAll horses trained by Noel Daley or in his caremust race out of detention for the next six months,starting April 21, and each will be subject to a$100 fee for the procedure, unless the horse ispart of a race in which all horses are detained.The penalty is not new. It has been in effect forhigh carbon dioxide rulings since November, 2001,and every horseman signing a stall applicationreceives a copy of the rules, which also areon the track’s Web site.