NEWS
MJC supports expanded gaming referendum
Posted: Thursday, October 09, 2008 3:58 PM
TOM CHUCKAS
MJC photo
The Maryland Jockey Club, which conducts live racing at Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, supports a referendum that would provide a significant boost to the Maryland Thoroughbred racing and breeding industries by authorizing expanded gaming in the state.
Maryland voters will be asked on November 4 to cast ballots for the referendum, which would allow the state’s General Assembly to authorize 15,000 slot machines at five designated locations. Preliminary estimates indicate that expanded gaming could generate $700-million in revenue, with 48% of those funds earmarked for education.
The Maryland Horse Breeders Association and the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association also support “For Maryland, For Our Future,” a grassroots coalition that is dedicated to help promote the passage of the referendum, which will appear as Question 2 on the ballot.
“Question 2 will help preserve Maryland racing, with is supported by thousands of employees, [and] hundreds of horse farms including thousands of acres of green space,” said Tom Chuckas, president and chief operating officer of Pimlico and Laurel Park. “All of which is at risk of disappearing from Maryland’s cultural, financial, and historical landscape.”
Failure to pass the referendum could lead to more financial hardships for the Maryland racing industry, which is facing competition created by tracks in Delaware, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Those surrounding states offer more lucrative purses and breeding bonuses that are financed through slot machine revenues.
The Maryland Jockey Club was founded in 1743. The Preakness Stakes (G1), the second leg of the Triple Crown, is run at Pimlico.
“The Maryland Jockey Club is proud to share its 265-year heritage and tradition with the people of Maryland,” Chuckas said. “As an organization with one of the longest ties to Maryland, the Maryland Jockey Club is proud to support Question 2, which will help keep the Preakness and Maryland horse industry strong for years to come.”
