NEWS
Intrastate poker could benefit Florida racetracks
Posted: Thursday, March 11, 2010 3:15 PM
by Frank Angst
A bill introduced in the Florida House of Representatives would allow the state to offer Internet poker to its residents through sites that would be operated by the state’s pari-mutuel outlets.
Such a move would create a new revenue stream for state racetracks such as Calder Race Course, Gulfstream Park, and Tampa Bay Downs.
While at the federal level the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act aims to curtail Internet wagering on games like poker, it allows states to create their own laws for intrastate wagering on the Internet. The Florida bill, introduced by Representative Joe Abruzzo (D-Wellington), would allow racetracks that have card rooms to conduct intrastate Internet poker.
Florida joins New Jersey as states with intrastate Internet wagering under consideration.
Currently there are 21 Florida pari-mutuel outlets that also operate card rooms. All of the state’s tracks that currently offer Thoroughbred racing also offer card rooms: Calder, Gulfstream, and Tampa Bay Downs. Hialeah Park, currently offering Quarter Horse racing, hopes to add Thoroughbred dates and a card room.
As outlined in the current bill, the Division of Pari-mutuel Wagering of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation would oversee Internet poker. Initial license fees would cost operators $500,000 and 10% of monthly gross receipts would go to the state to pay for regulation and oversight.
Calder owner Churchill Downs Inc. has expressed interest in expanding its Internet wagering operations, currently the account wagering site TwinSpires.com, to include poker. Gulfstream owner Magna Entertainment Corp., which is going through Chapter 11 bankruptcy, has been less vocal on the topic. Gulfstream is to be transferred to Magna’s parent company MI Developments Inc. Tampa Bay Downs is independently owned by Stella Thayer.
