Off-Track Betting

There are "active discussions" between representatives of Churchill Downs Inc. and officials in Louisiana to reach some kind of agreement to see the owners of Fair Grounds continue to operate live racing at the track, according to a report Friday in DRF. Earlier this week, CDI's chief executive, Bill Carstanjen, sent a letter to the Louisiana State Racing Commission (LSRC) and to some of the state's high-ranking politicians, warning that the track's inability to operate historic horse racing machines (HHR) at its OTBs put the company in a precarious economic...

Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI) has escalated its recent threat of pulling out of racing at Fair Grounds in New Orleans. "Given the legislature's ease with which it approved legislation that is directly adverse and harmful to the economic interests of Fair Grounds, the opposition by elected officials to engage in meaningful solutions in collaboration with the Fair Grounds, and the forthcoming adjournment of the legislative session, CDI is left with no choice but to request an appearance before the LSRC to begin the next steps for voluntarily surrendering the racing...

Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI), which in recent seasons has ended racing at such high-profile tracks as Arlington and Calder over alleged profitability issues, on Tuesday threatened to pull out of Fair Grounds over a recent court ruling that bars it from using a certain type of slot machine, saying the ban would cause it to lose money at the New Orleans track and 13 off-track-betting outlets it owns. Reporting by Anthony McAuley and Tyler Bridges at NOLA.com first broke the news, which emerged out of an "emergency" Louisiana Racing Commission...

I enjoyed David Heckerman's recent series of articles. They caused me to feel some nostalgia about the "good ole days." I remember vividly when I heard TJC had fought expanded TV coverage, and thought "how shortsighted." When it (and NYRA) later threw up roadblocks to off-track betting and allowed New York OTBs to be run by folks not interested in racing, it seemed to me they were underestimating the appeal of more convenient wagering. By the time horsemen attempted to prevent the development of a card club at Hollywood Park,...

Turf Paradise will no longer offer live racing or simulcasting beginning Oct. 1. Jerry Simms, the owner of the Phoenix-based track, announced Monday that after 23 years of operating the race track, he is retiring to spend more time with his family. Turf Paradise also maintains 37 Off Track Betting sites throughout Arizona, which televise the live product and simulcasts from other race tracks across America for the purpose of wagering. In order for the OTB sites to operate, live racing is required. Since Turf Paradise will not be running...

At the Orange County Superior Court this Monday, judge Gregory Lewis ruled that the Pacific Racing Association (PRA)--the arm of The Stronach Group (TSG) licensed to operate the meet at Golden Gate Fields--must continue to send its audiovisual signal to the network of satellite wagering facilities in Northern California, thereby throwing a lifeline to the county fairgrounds where these satellites are primarily found, along with the broader status quo of the industry in the northern half of the state. The crux of the issue surrounded PRA's legal obligation to contract...