What's happening
This bill allows Belmont Park racetrack to hold night races on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays until 10:30 PM for four years.
Why it matters
Potential for increased revenue and tourism. Allowing night races at Belmont Park could attract more visitors and bettors, boosting local economic activity and possibly increasing state tax revenue from wagering and related spending.
Coordination with harness racing required. The bill mandates that race start times be staggered with harness racing events in Westchester County, which could impact scheduling and cooperation between different racing entities, affecting both fan experience and betting markets.
Temporary, trial-based expansion. The four-year sunset clause makes this a limited experiment, giving lawmakers and the public a chance to assess the effects of night racing on the community, safety, and financial performance before making it permanent.
Community and operational implications. Night racing may raise concerns or opportunities related to noise, lighting, traffic, and local quality of life, requiring attention from both racetrack operators and local governments.
Albany, before your first meeting.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Allow Night Races at Belmont
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Enacting clause stricken
- Referred to racing and wagering
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
8630
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
September 1, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. PRETLOW -- read once and referred to the Committee on Racing and Wagering
AN ACT to amend the racing, pari-mutuel wagering and breeding law, in relation to the right to hold race meetings and races at Belmont Park; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 203 of the racing, pari-mutuel wagering and breeding law, as amended by chapter 18 of the laws of 2008, is amended to read as follows:
§ 203. Right to hold race meetings and races. 1. Any corporation formed under the provisions of this article, if so claimed in its certificate of organization, and if it shall comply with all the provisions of this article, and any other corporation entitled to the benefits and privileges of this article as hereinafter provided, shall have the power and the right to hold one or more running race meetings in each year, and to hold, maintain and conduct running races at such meetings. At such running race meetings the corporation, or the owners of horses engaged in such races, or others who are not participants in the race, may contribute purses, prizes, premiums or stakes to be contested for, but no person or persons other than the owner or owners of a horse or horses contesting in a race shall have any pecuniary interest in a purse, prize, premium or stake contested for in such race, or be entitled to or receive any portion thereof after such race is finished, and the whole of such purse, prize, premium or stake shall be allotted in accordance with the terms and conditions of such race. Races conducted by a franchised corporation shall be permitted only between sunrise and sunset.
2. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, a franchised corporation shall be permitted to conduct races after sunset at
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13221-04-7
A. 8630 2
the Belmont Park racetrack, only on the main track in its current configuration, but only if such races conclude before half past ten o'clock post meridian and only if such races occur on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The franchised corporation shall coordinate with a harness racing association or corporation authorized to operate in Westchester county to ensure that the starting times of all such races are staggered.
3. A track first licensed after January first, nineteen hundred ninety, shall not conduct the simulcasting of thoroughbred races within district one, in accordance with article ten of this chapter on days that a franchised corporation is not conducting a race meeting. In no event shall thoroughbred races conducted by a track first licensed after January first, nineteen hundred ninety be conducted after eight o'clock post meridian.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be deemed repealed 4 years after the first night of racing conducted after sunset pursuant to this act; provided that the New York Racing Association shall notify the legislative bill drafting commission of the date of such night of racing in order that the commission may maintain an accurate and timely effective data base of the official text of the laws of the state of New York in furtherance of effecting the provisions of section 44 of the legislative law and section 70-b of the public officers law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.