New Jersey Horse Racing Tracks Could Get Slots Too

A study of the impact expanded gambling in neighboring states has had on the Horse Racing and Casino industry in New Jersey is underway.

A spokesman for Gov. Jon Corzine stated that the state is in the procurement mode of seeking a vendor to study how gaming activity introduced elsewhere is affecting New Jersey.

Mark Perkiss said, "the report will also examine the economics of installing slots and video lottery machines, including not only what the potential revenue might be, but how it might impact horse racing, Atlantic City and the state lottery."

The state's casino industry has been subsidizing horse racing at more than $20 million dollars a year in exchange for track operators agreeing to not pursue bringing slots to the tracks, which casino owners say would hurt business in Atlantic City.

The number of tracks in Pennsylvania and New York that have added slots has been gradually increasing. Delaware tracks have had slots for about 10 years

George Zoffinger, president and chief executive officer of the Sports Authority, said the New Jersey tracks need slots to compete. The other tracks include the authority-owned Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford and the privately owned Freehold Raceway.

As the slots-enhanced purses paid in other states increase, horsemen are bound to leave New Jersey, Zoffinger said. "We need a purse structure to stay competitive with our neighboring states who have gotten ahead of us."

May 13, 2007
Posted By Bob Hartman
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com    Previous Page | Internet Gambling | Top Online Casinos | Submit News!