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 beyondPaul J. Estok, EditorWednesday, May 5, 2010PENN GETS NEEDED OHIO VOTEPenn National Gaming, owner of HTA membersFreehold Raceway in New Jersey and HollywoodSlots Hotel and Raceway in Bangor, Maine, announcedtoday following approval by voters ofState Issue 2 on yesterday’s statewide ballot, it isimmediately proceeding with design, planning,environmental remediation and other pre-constructionactivities for the company’s HollywoodCasino Columbus at the 123-acre site on the westside of the City of Columbus. The tract was previouslythe location of a General Motors/DelphiAutomotive plant. Ohio voters approved theoriginal plan for casinos in the state’s four largestcities in November 2009, but following negotiationswith the Columbus city government, aswell as civic, business and political leaders, PennNational agreed to seek a state constitutionalamendment to relocate the Columbus casinofrom the downtown Arena District to the formerGM plant site. Returns from yesterday’s electionshowed the measure to approve moving thecasino passing with 69 percent of the vote. Ina company release, Eric Schippers, senior vicepresident for public affairs for Penn National,said, “With the approval of State Issue 2 we aremoving quickly to the next steps in the developmentof Hollywood Casino Columbus, whichwill create 3,500 construction jobs and 2,000 newpermanent jobs and generate hundreds of millionsof dollars in tax revenues.” With a plannedbudget of $400 million, the casino is expected toopen in the second half of 2012.WESTERN FAIR OPENS TODAYA 10 percent purse increase and a new racingschedule will greet patrons as Western FairRaceway kicks off its spring meet today. Purseswere raised across the board due to an increaseof approximately nine percent in averagedaily handle in the track’s recently concludedwinter meet.NM RACINO LOSES LICENSEThe New Mexico State Gaming Control Boardvoted yesterday to “pull the plug” on a plan for anew horse racetrack and casino in Raton, in theLand of Enchantment’s northeast corner. Theproposed $500 million racino’s problems begannot long after it received its license. A 60-dayrace meet was supposed to begin Memorial Dayweekend, but lack of a racing surface or grandstandmade achieving that milestone virtuallyimpossible. The license-holders had asked for amuch shorter meet, this one starting Labor Dayweekend, but gaming board members said no.Revocation of the license for the Raton racinosends the issue back to the gaming board. In additionto the action by the gaming board, the NewMexico Racing Commission will consider disciplinaryaction at its May 19th meeting. Whilea New Mexico track can normally have a racinglicense without a gaming license, one of the conditionsput on the Raton operators when the racingcommission awarded the racing license wasthat the operators have a gaming license.MEADOWS GETS TABLE GAMESThe Meadows Racetrack & Casino now hasthe State of Pennsylvania’s permission to offertable games, but a spokesman for the companysaid that while the casino is happy about the approval,rollout of the new games probably won’tbe any time soon. The racino needs time to hireand train the nearly 600 employees it will needto staff the poker, blackjack, roulette and crapstables that will be added. The gaming board ishoping the games are up and running by July ofthis year.HTA INVOICES IN THE MAILThose pesky HTA dues invoices have been sentout by trusty controller Bente Jensen...pleasedon’t ignore them. Your cooperation isgreatly appreciated!