Casino rules OK'd for horse tracks
By David Zizzo
Published: March 18, 2005
The Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission approved casino gaming rules for three tracks Thursday -- heading down the home stretch to offering games that voters supported in November.
"It's a good day for racing in
Oklahoma," said
Debbie Schauf, executive director of the
Oklahoma Quarter Horse Racing Association. "This is a huge step."
Commissioners on Thursday also voted against requiring race tracks to post the theoretical odds of winning casino games, however -- a departure from what their staff proposed.
Such information would only result in "confused customers," said
Teri Poust, an attorney representing the tracks and the horse groups.
Commission Vice Chair Randy Calvert said that under Poust's suggestion, that information would be available at commission offices if the public requested it.
"That doesn't do much good," said
Neal Leader, legal counsel for the commission.
Commission Director Gordon Hare supported his staff, saying, "All we are asking is let the wagering public know what it is."
Commissioners adopted the emergency rules after months of meetings where they slogged through 160 pages of proposed regulations.
On Thursday, commission members spent hours ironing out differences between recommendations of staff and those of the tracks and horse groups. Commissioners then unanimously approved the rules, drawing applause from representatives of horse organizations and race tracks. The rules now go to
Gov. Brad Henry for his review.
If Henry approves them, Hare said, tracks could begin offering the gaming as early as May.
"It's an important step," Hare said of the vote Thursday.
R.D. Logan, an assistant to the group vice president of
Magna Entertainment Corp., which operates
Remington Park, said the vote was just another step in the process toward gaming that will revive the racing industry. But it was a big one, he said.
"It's a big day for the entire industry," he said.
The regulations will be used to implement provisions of State Question 712, approved by voters Nov. 2, which permits casino-style games at Remington Park in
Oklahoma City,
Blue Ribbon Downs in Sallisaw and
Will Rogers Downs in
Claremore.
Even though the games have not begun,
Joe Lucas, president of the
Thoroughbred Racing Association, said race track casino plans already have affected racing. In anticipation of increased money for purses, daily racing payouts for horses have been rising since the proposal was passed in November, he said, from the usual $60,000 to $70,000.
"We were rolling the dice, so to speak, that this would happen," he said.
Purses are expected to hit $100,000 by August, he said, "hopefully" doubling to about $200,000 by 2006.
Commission staff had worked for weeks with representatives of horse organizations and track operators, with public comment, and with consulting firm
Gaming Laboratories International in creating the proposed rules. They spent most of Thursday discussing remaining objections from horse organizations and track operators.
Objections included a requirement for a barrier at least 5 feet high around casino gaming areas of tracks.
Commissioners decided to leave the type of physical barrier up to tracks, as long as children were kept out of those areas.
Track operators also asked that security plans be kept only at tracks and not be filed with the commission so that they would not be considered official records that might be requested by the public.
However, commission officials said such records are kept confidential anyway.
Poust also asked that commissioners reduce annual fees for each of the 1,150 gaming machines that will be used at the three tracks. Commissioners reduced the fee from $360 to $260.
"One thing's for certain," Calvert said, "no matter how much money we charge for it, we will spend it all."
Hare said Blue Ribbon Downs and Will Rogers Downs, because they are operated by Indian tribes with experience running casinos, likely will begin offering casino gaming sooner than Remington.
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