Michigan horsemen are working with state legislators on a package of bills that would allow expanded gaming at the state's racetracks.

The horsemen would like to see the package complete for consideration by the lame-duck Legislature that will meet following the November elections.

"It could be a lifeline to the industry," Michigan Racing Commissioner Annette Bacola told the Lansing State Journal.

If passed, the bills would allow tracks to have video lottery terminals (VLTs), card rooms, keno games, and satellite betting sites, among other forms of gaming designed to lure more people to the track.

"They are critical—absolutely critical—to the industry," Representative Judith Scranton (R-Brighton) said of the bill she sponsors in Michigan's House. Senator George McManus (R-Traverse City) sponsors a similar bill in the Senate.

While spokespersons for Magna Entertainment Corp. and EQTAH Group insist that the possibility of expanded gaming is not the primary reason they are each interested in building a new Michigan racing facility, the possibility of VLTs down the road certainly is enticing.

"The developers aren't talking to us, and it makes me suspicious," Wheatfield Township resident Walter Sorg said of the EQTAH Group, which is wholly owned by Andy Stronach. "Maybe this, as some claim, is just a front for a casino."

Handle and attendance at Michigan's tracks are down 10% and 40%, respectively, over the past decade.

Great Lakes Downs in Muskegon, the state's only Thoroughbred track, opened in 1999 and was purchased by racetrack conglomerate Magna the next year. Magna has submitted plans for a Thoroughbred/Standardbred racetrack in Romulus, outside of Detroit, to be ready for racing by 2004.