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, EditorFriday, Sept. 10, 2010PLAY NICE, NOW, IT’S BILLIONSLike angry cats hissing at one another,or playground kids playing “sticks andstones,” the governor of New York and hisstate comptroller have been hammeringone another brutally. The New York Postreports this morning, citing an unnamed“administrative source,” that Gov.David Paterson’s aides “were furious” atcomptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s delay insigning off on the 30-year, mega-billiondollarcontract to Genting Malaysia forthe Aqueduct racino contract, and thatthe state was losing millions thru thedelay. DiNapoli responded quickly, sayinghe would sign off on the bill by Tuesday,while noting that Paterson frittered awaythree years getting the contract signed.The newspaper said Paterson’s office wasconsidering “unprecedented legislation”to appoint an independent auditor toaudit DiNapoli’s office, again quoting itsanonymous source as saying “DiNapoliis supposed to be the fiscal watchdog, butwho is watching the watchdog?” DiNapoli,for his part, said his delay was caused by“taking every step to ensure the taxpayersare safeguarded in this contract.” Anelection is coming up in November andDiNapoli is running in it. You don’t thinkthat might have something to do with thehissing, do you?More politics, incidentally, across thestate line in New Jersey, where theDems’ second “gaming summit” isunderway today.BROWN OUT AT EMPIREMichael (Mickey) Brown is out andEmanuel (Manny) Pearlman is in at EmpireResorts, owner of Monticello Raceway.Brown, who had triple bypass heartsurgery late last month, has resigned, andPearlman, founder of Liberation InvestmentGroup and a director of MultimediaGames, has replaced him.SARATOGA’S OWN ADW OPENSHTA member Saratoga Gaming andRaceway has opened its own advancedeposit wagering system, SaratogaBets.The service enables Saratoga guests theflexibility of betting on tracks around thecountry while at Saratoga, from home, orremotely from wherever they are. The systemis being launched in affiliation witheBet Technologies, a business-to-businessaccount wagering solutions provider.GERMAN MONOPOLIES KO’DThe New York Times reports today that theEuropean Court of Justice in Luxembourg,the highest court in the European Union,has ruled that state-operated gamblingmonopolies are illegal under E.U. laws.The decision is a major victory for privatebetting companies seeking to enter, or alreadyoperating, in Germany. German officialssaid the decision leaves the choice ofoperating the state-owned shops to them,but France and Italy already have liberalizedtheir laws and Goldmedia, a Berlinresearch firm, says offshore operators alreadyhandle $1.28 billion a year onbets in Germany.