Gaming Commission leaves simulcasting's future up to Legislature
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission is leaving the future fate of simulcast wagering on greyhound races in the hands of state lawmakers.
“That is a whole can of worms,” Commission Chairman Stephen Crosby said Thursday. “As a policy issue, I don’t know if I’m in favor of simulcasting dog races or not. I’ve never thought about it before in my life.”
Although casino gambling has been the Massachusetts Gaming Commission’s main focus in recent weeks, the issue of simulcast wagering on greyhound races came up during Thursday’s weekly meeting.
The commission, which oversees racing and simulcast wagering, discussed how new statewide gambling regulations should address simulcasting of out-of-state greyhound races. Live dog racing was banned in Massachusetts at the end of 2009 following a statewide vote the previous year.
Commissioners briefly deliberated Thursday whether the new gambling regulations should also prohibit simulcasting out-of-state dog races.
Raynham Park, a former greyhound track, has survived the statewide ban on live dog racing by operating as a simulcasting parlor, where patrons place wagers on out-of-state horse and dog races.
Hoping to undergo a rebirth, Raynham Park applied last week for the sole slots parlor license in Massachusetts.
If awarded the slots license, Raynham Park plans to continue operating a simulcast betting parlor.
Stephen Crosby said he thinks it should be the place of the state Legislature, not the Gaming Commission, to decide whether the next simulcasting statute should contain a prohibition on simulcasting greyhound races.
“My instinct would be to draft it both ways and say we don’t feel it was up to us to decide it,” he said, explaining that such an approach would leave the decision in the Legislature’s hands.
“It would be the most Solomonic way to go about it,” Commissioner Jim McHugh replied.
“Yes, it’s kicking the can to the other guys,” Crosby then joked.
Read more: http://www.heraldnews.com/news/x971312462/Gaming-Commission-leaves-simulcastings-future-up-to-Legislature#ixzz2JCdru219
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