Due to a budget impasse, unless racing agrees to take over the costs of drug testing (roughly $9 million) within a week, Pennsylvania Governor Wolf has threatened to shut down racing in the Keystone State next week. Part of this is a result of the budget impasse, part of this is due to wagering's continued decline meaning the cost of keeping racing going is more than what the state takes in with regards to taxes.
Wagering has dropped 71% since 2001 in Pennsylvania so the state has every right to be frustrated as the PHRC has been propped up by the state on numerous occasions. Let's face it, wagering on horse racing has declined nationally, and while gaming interests who now operate the racinos have little interest in increasing wagering, the fact the state has the largest rake certainly increases the decline..
Tomorrow is Breeders Crown night. Unfortunately, news of the Breeders Crown is already being overshadowed by the thoroughbred's Breeders Cup as news of pre-entries become known. But there are tie racsess which matter to those in Maine.,
1 comment:
The threat to end racing won't prompt the legislature to get going on a budget the governor likes. There aren't enough people who would care. Shut down the casinos and state lottery sales for lack of a budget and watch how quickly people force the warring politicians to settle their differences.
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