HARNESS TRACKS OF AMERICA Executive Newsletter

HARNESS TRACKS OF AMERICAExecutive NewsletterA daily fax and e-mail report on racing and gaming developments in North America and beyondStanley F. Bergstein, EditorTuesday, June 29. 2010GURAL GOES FOR THE GAMESWith the bilateral support of the chairmanof the Senate Racing, Gaming andWagering committee, Democrat Eric Adams,and Republican senator Thomas Libousof Binghamton, track operator JeffGural is moving forward on the tortuousroad to table games at Tioga Downs andVernon Downs. Adams has introduced abill that would amend the state constitutionto add five privately owned casinos attracks, and meet other criteria. The IthacaJournal, reporting the development, saysthe five would be in Tioga, Saratoga andOneida counties, with two in Sullivancounty in the Catskills. Buffalo Racewayand Batavia Downs would not be eligibleunder the bill. Gural says if the legislationpasses, he has plans for an expandedracino at Tioga Downs, construction of ahotel with indoor parking, and additionalrestaurants. Driving the legislation is thepromise of some 200 new jobs to operatethe table games and 100 to staff the hotel.That would double Tioga’s presentstaffing. Tioga currently has 775 videoslots and a major league racing schedule.Gural’s hopes will require diligence andpatience. The bill would have to be approvedin two legislative sessions becauseit calls for a constitutional amendment,and then would have to pass a statewidereferendum. Gural explained that couldtake two years, but said if the bill isnot passed now it would delay thewhole operation for two years.Don Groth, president of Catskill OTB,said he would oppose the legislation “unlessit had a companion provision to discountthe payments OTBs are required tomake to racetracks.”NO REFERENDUM IN MDA circuit court judge in Anne Arundelcounty. Maryland, has ended, for now,the Maryland Jockey Club’s hopes to haltthe giant Cordish corporation’s plans tobuild a casino there. Judge Ronald A.Silkworth ruled on the strength of Marylandlaw that prohibits appropriationsmeasures by public action or referendum.The Maryland Jockey Club says it willappeal, but 23 years ago, when plans wereafoot to put the issue of building baseballstadium Camden Yards to a public vote,the Court of Appeals said that was impermissible.Judge Silkworth wrote in his 47-page decision that the 2008 vote to allowslots “would be delayed and thwarted, ifnot fatally undermined, by a referendum.”It turns out that Magna Entertainment,which owned the Maryland Jockey Clubat the time, probably would have had acasino at Laurel Park if it had not madethe very costly mistake of not making astate-mandated pre-selection deposit.PATERSON BUDGET REJECTEDNew York’s legislature, substituting itsown budget for that of Gov. David Paterson,expands daily hours of operationat state racinos from 16 to 20, a moveexpected to produce $45 million.