NEWS
States slowly adding oversight of wagering pools
Posted: Tuesday, April 21, 2009 7:04 PM
by Frank Angst
While a recent goal of national independent oversight of wagering pools largely has fallen by the wayside, several individual states are making progress.
Those states offered updates at the Association of Racing Commissioners International (RCI) Annual Conference Tuesday during a committee meeting on wagering systems and tote standards. Regulators from several states talked about the progress, including efforts in California, Indiana, Minnesota, and New York.
Committee Chairman Frank Zanzuccki, executive director of the New Jersey Racing Commission, acknowledged progress has been slow.
“We haven’t made much progress but progress is being made to some extent,” Zanzuccki said.
Indiana appears to be on schedule to be the first state to have independent monitoring software in place to examine pari-mutuel pools. The state’s two tracks, Hoosier Park and Indiana Downs, will pay to have Advanced Monitoring Systems Inc. put software in place to examine the pools.
The state’s tracks will pay for the software but Indiana Horse Racing Commission Executive Director Joe Gorajec, who also serves as chairman of RCI, said the information will not be controlled by the tracks. Gorajec said when an anomaly occurs, alerts will be sent to the tracks as well as the state racing commission.
The New York State Racing and Wagering Board aimed to have similar software in place by January 1, 2009, but was slowed by concerns about implementation of such monitoring software. Still, the state would like to have software in place this year and Ron Ochrym, executive director of the Racing and Wagering Board, said New York has received 11 proposals from software companies.
Minnesota also is looking at adding oversight software for the pari-mutuel pools. The state racing commission has put information technology manager Tim Dunn in charge of working with tracks and tote companies on integrity issues. Dick Kruger, executive director of the Minnesota Racing Commission, said Dunn’s ability to communicate with tote officials is valuable.
“Frankly, I think it intimidated Scientific Games a bit when he met with their representatives,” Kruger said. “It’s so important to have someone who can speak that language.”
In California, a Senate bill backed by the California Horse Racing Board would provide resources to pay for independent monitoring software.
Frank Angst is senior writer for THOROUGHBRED TIMES
