NEWS
NYRA official to discuss ongoing issues via Internet
Posted: Wednesday, January 27, 2010 4:08 PM
by Paul Post
New York City Off-Track Betting, the Aqueduct gaming decision, and the state’s investigation of New York Racing Association’s finances all are possible topics for discussion during a live Web chat with NYRA Chief Operating Officer Hal Handel on Friday.
Fans interested in carrying on a live dialogue with Handel may log on to http://www.nyra.com/livechat beginning at 8 p.m. EST on Friday. No pre-registration is necessary and users may simply type questions and comments in the chat field at the bottom of the page for Handel to address.
NYRA officials are scheduled to testify on Wednesday at a state Senate hearing about apparent rapidly declining cash reserves. The entity recently threatened to cancel the spring Belmont Park meeting, saying it would run out of money by June.
Senators are expected to grill NYRA officials about how past payments from the state have been used and the organization’s overall fiscal condition.
“The biggest item is that New York City Off-Track Betting owes us $15-million,” Handel said on Wednesday. “We certainly didn’t count on that. I think our testimony will bring a great deal of clarity to all of these numbers.”
On Monday, a state task force submitted a report calling for shared services between NYRA and New York’s off-track betting corporations. However, it said NYRA should not take over OTB because of its own unsound financial situation.
“Consolidation of services makes all the sense in the world,” Handel said. “That’s a great starting point.
On another front, NYRA anxiously is awaiting selection of an Aqueduct gaming operator. NYRA is slated to get 7% of racino revenues—4% percent for capital projects and 3% percent for operations.
“We’d love to see it get started,” Handel said. “It would open huge new doors in horse racing in New York.”
Paul Post is a New York-based Thoroughbred Times correspondent
