NEWS
Massachusetts simulcasting to resume soon
Posted: Saturday, January 06, 2007 5:41 PM
Suffolk Downs and three other pari-mutuel facilities in Massachusetts soon will be allowed to resume simulcasting after the state Legislature reached a late-night agreement on simulcast regulations on Tuesday.
The old agreement expired on December 31, leaving tracks unable to accept wagers on racing in other states. The shutdown will end once Governor Mitt Romney signs the multiyear agreement into law.
Under terms of the agreement, Raynham-Taunton Greyhound Park will be limited to two Thoroughbred simulcasts when Suffolk Downs does not hold live racing. Raynham-Taunton, which is located about 30 miles from Suffolk Downs, will also have access to two additional Thoroughbred feeds and will be allowed to simulcast its races to Plainridge Racecourse in Plainville, Massachusetts, the Taunton Daily Gazette reports.
A similar shutdown occurred at the beginning of 2006 and cost Suffolk Downs six days of simulcasting. The lost revenue forced the East Boston track to cancel the Massachusetts Handicap (G2) for the second straight year.
