Relates to payments in support of racing; sets up a payment applicants must pay if they are issued a gaming facility license and they do not possess either a pari-mutuel wagering license or franchise award.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A6345A
SPONSOR: Pretlow TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the racing, pari-mutuel wagering and
breeding law, in relation to payments in support of racing
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To ensure that purse support funding, funding for the New York State
Horse Breeding and Development Fund and funding for the New York State
Thoroughbred Breeding and Development Fund provided by video lottery
gaming are maintained at 2013 levels (as adjusted for inflation) for
licensed racetracks within 75 miles of a casino to be located in the
Eastern Southern Tier Region (Region 5).
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1: Amends subdivision 2 of section 1355 of the Racing, Pari-Mu-
tuel Wagering and Breeding Law to provide that an applicant for a casino
license in the Eastern Southern Tier Region (Region 5) shall be required
to pay an amount to ensure purse support funding, funding for the New
York State Horse Breeding and Development Fund and funding for the New
York State Thoroughbred Breeding and Development Fund provided by video
lottery gaining are maintained at 2013 levels (as adjusted for
inflation) for licensed racetracks within 75 miles of their location.
Section 2: Effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
The Upstate New York Gaming Economic Development Act of 2013 (Chapter
174 of 2013) provided the statutory framework for the casino site
selection process and the operations of the new casinos. As part of
this, section 1355 of the Racing, Pari-Mutuel Wagering and Breeding Law
required casino license winners to "hold harmless" purse support
payments to the horsemen and payments to the breeding funds at race-
tracks located within their region. However, with the selection by the
Gaming Facility Location Board of an applicant in the Finger Lakes
Region, which is located in close proximity to racetracks that are not
protected by this provision as it is not in the same "Region," this
legislation becomes necessary to protect theses support payments.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None to the State.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
