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, October 29, 2010WHO WAS THERE, WHO WASN’TAs writer David Grening wrote in DailyRacing Form, it took only 3,291 days for itto happen, but Aqueduct got its first ceremonialtaste of a racino yesterday whenK. T. Lim, in from Malaysia in his role aschairman of gaming giant Genting, gavehis blessings to his $1.680 million baby.He was not alone, for Gov. David Patersonof New York, who had given his blessingearlier, stood with him and numerousbusiness, union and political leaders andapplied rubber sledge hammers to somerocks to get things underway. Not on hand,however, were three figures who playedprominent roles in earlier proceedingsthat are now immersed in investigation.Democratic Senate leader John Sampson,Senate President Malcolm Smith andAssembly Speaker Sheldon Silver wereno-shows. There in noisy protest werea hundred or so food and other vendorswho make their living at a big weekly fleamarket held on the Aqueduct parking lot.They wanted to know where they wouldbe moved so they could continue to earntheir keep. Their protests were drownedout by the oratory of the speakers, whocelebrated 2,100 jobs promised by Gentingin constructing the project, expected toopen its first slots by next Memorial Day.Gov. Paterson led that parade, sayingwith yesterday’s groundbreaking “NewYork continues its confident march outof recession and back to prosperityand growth.”He linked the march to revitalization ofracing and as a powerful generator ofstate revenue, money that he said wouldgo toward education. Genting ChairmanLim called yesterday “one of the proudestdays in the history of the Genting organization,”and he promised to deliver“a world class tourism and entertainmentfacility that all New Yorkers canbe proud of.” New York Racing Associationchairman C. Steven Duncker calledGenting “a terrific partner” and saidNYRA “looked forward to working withthem for many years to come.” They hadbetter. Genting’s contract is for 30 years,and Duncker says their Resorts WorldNew York Casino “will help New Yorkracing reach new heights for horsemen,breeders and fans.”HAPPINESS IN IOWA, GEORGIALong-term happiness for Scientific Gamesin Georgia yesterday, as the Iowa LotteryBoard voted 5-0 to give Scientific a 10-year, $50 million contract -- the longestin the lottery’s 25-year history -- to installand run a new lottery computer system at2,500 locations around the state. It willgo online in July, and will enable the IowaLottery to sell Powerball tickets at placeswhere only scratch-offs are availablenow. The CEO of the lottery, Terry Rich,says the new system also will enable thestate to provide faster service to its customers.Scientific won the contract overtwo competitors.