What's happening
This bill adds Westchester County to the list of exceptions for harness racing association licensing rules regarding off-track betting pool distributions.
Why it matters
Expands special licensing rules. to include harness racing associations in Westchester County, potentially making it easier or more attractive for new racing operations to open or relocate there.
Could affect the distribution of betting revenues. from off-track betting pools in Westchester, possibly changing how much local tracks, the state, and breeding development funds receive.
May impact competition and investment. in the harness racing industry by putting Westchester on par with other counties (like Tioga, Saratoga, Genesee) that already benefit from these exceptions.
Signals state support for the horse racing sector. in Westchester, possibly leading to job creation, increased tourism, and economic activity if new racing venues are developed or existing ones expand.
Albany, before your first meeting.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Change Off-Track Betting Rules
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Signed chap.241
- Delivered to governor
- Returned to senate
- Passed assembly
- Ordered to third reading rules cal.388
- Substituted for A7187
- Referred to ways and means
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 61–0
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.655
Show 1 earlier action
- Referred to racing, gaming and wagering
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Change Off-Track Betting Rules
Assembly Floor Calendar · Sponsor J. Gary Pretlow
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1975
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 18, 2019
Introduced by Sen. ADDABBO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Racing, Gaming and Wagering
AN ACT to amend the racing, pari-mutuel wagering and breeding law, in relation to the disposition of off-track pools
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The opening paragraph of subdivision 1 of section 527 of the racing, pari-mutuel wagering and breeding law, as amended by section 4 of part BB of chapter 60 of the laws of 2016, is amended to read as follows:
The disposition of the retained commission from pools resulting from regular, multiple or exotic bets, as the case may be, whether placed on races run within a region or outside a region, conducted by racing corporations, harness racing associations or corporations, quarter horse racing associations or corporations or races run outside the state shall be governed by the tables in paragraphs a and b of this subdivision. The rate denominated "state tax" shall represent the rate of a reasonable tax imposed upon the retained commission for the privilege of conducting off-track pari-mutuel betting, which tax is hereby levied and shall be payable in the manner set forth in this section. Each off-track betting corporation shall pay to the gaming commission as a regulatory fee, which fee is hereby levied, six-tenths of one percent of the total daily pools of such corporation. Each corporation shall also pay twenty percent of the breaks derived from bets on harness races and fifty percent of the breaks derived from bets on all other races to the agriculture and New York State horse breeding and development fund and to the thoroughbred breeding and development fund, the total of such payments to be apportioned fifty percent to each such fund. For the purposes of this section, the New York city, Suffolk, Nassau, and the Catskill regions shall constitute a single region and any thoroughbred
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06982-01-9
S. 1975 2
track located within the Capital District region shall be deemed to be within such single region. A "regional meeting" shall refer to either harness or thoroughbred meetings, or both, except that a franchised corporation shall not be a regional track for the purpose of receiving distributions from bets on thoroughbred races conducted by a thoroughbred track in the Catskill region conducting a mixed meeting. With the exception of a harness racing association or corporation first licensed to conduct pari-mutuel wagering at a track located in Tioga [or], Saratoga or Westchester county after January first, two thousand five, racing corporations first licensed to conduct pari-mutuel racing after January first, nineteen hundred eighty-six or a harness racing association or corporation first licensed to conduct pari-mutuel wagering at a track located in Genesee County after January first, two thousand five, and quarter horse tracks shall not be "regional tracks"; if there is more than one harness track within a region, such tracks shall evenly divide payments made pursuant to the tables in paragraphs a and b of this subdivision when neither track is running. In the event a track elects to reduce its retained percentage from any or all of its pari-mutuel pools, the payments to the track holding the race and the regional track required by paragraphs a and b of this subdivision shall be reduced in proportion to such reduction. Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize the conduct of off-track betting contrary to the provisions of section five hundred twenty-three of this article.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the racing, pari-mutuel wagering and breeding law, in relation to the disposition of off-track pools
Purpose
To allow Yonkers Raceway to maintain its status as a regional track
Summary of provisions
Section 1 amends subdivision 1 of section 527 of the racing, pari-mutuel wagering and breeding law. It adds Westchester County to the exception, already granted to Tioga County, which allows "regional payments" to be paid to racetracks first licensed after January 1, 1986.
Section 2 states the effective date.
Justification
Current law provides that "racing corporations first licensed to conduct pari-mutuel racing after January first, nineteen hundred eighty-six" are not considered to be regional tracks in that "regional payments" are generally not required to be paid. With MGM's recent acquisition of Yonkers Raceway, the track would fall under this provision and lose its regional track payments. By adding Westchester County to the exception that was provided for Tioga County, Yonkers Raceway will remain a regional track and the disposition of off-track pools will continue identically to their current disposition.
Legislative history
2017: S9096 - REFERRED TO RULES 2018: S9096 - REFERRED TO RULES
Fiscal implications
None
Effective date
Immediately
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.