This was never about horse racing.....

The same thing will happen in Massachusettts.....

Ohio's new racinos told: don't forget horse racing

March 17, 2013

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A state panel that oversees Ohio's horse racing industry thinks the developers of two new racinos in the state are short changing fans of live horse racing over a bigger emphasis on video lottery gambling.

Ohio State Racing Commission has asked the developers of the racinos near Youngstown and in Dayton to add more seating for people who want to watch horse racing.

The commission in January told the owners of another racino being built in southwest Ohio near Lebanon that they too should add more seats for harness racing.

New gambling rules are allowing Ohio's horse tracks to add slots-like gambling. Some tracks are renovating to add the video terminal games while others are building new entirely tracks.

The racing commission is concerned that some are putting horse racing at the back of the pack.

Penn National Gaming Inc. plans to move its horse racing tracks in Toledo and the Columbus area to new sites in Dayton and Austintown, just outside Youngstown.

Moving the two tracks would reduce the competition for Penn National's new casinos in Toledo and Columbus and bring legalized gambling to new areas of the state.

The racing commission, which still must approve the license transfers, took issue last week with how many seats there will be for watching the live races.

Penn National plans for about 766 seats at the Youngstown racino and 1,000 video lottery terminals. The Dayton site would not have grooms quarters or permanent barns and 1,500 machines.

"I find what you presented inadequate," racing commission Chairman Robert Schmitz told Penn National officials on Tuesday. "I don't think it moves racing forward in this state."

Penn National Gaming said that they'll come back to the commission on Wednesday with more information and plans. But a company official says the developers think the current plans have enough seats to meet demand.

"The fact of the matter is, over the last 10 to 15 years, attendance has consistently dropped," said Bob Tenenbaum, a Penn National spokesman.

"We are trying to draw a distinction here between capacity and practicality and realism," he said. "We could build 10,000 seats, but who's going to fill them?"

Mark Munroe of Mahoning County, which includes Austintown, said the area is excited about the new racino. But he agreed with other commission members who think there needs to be more emphasis on live-racing.

"There's disbelief that somebody would spend $250 million between license fees and relocation fees to build a racetrack and only a couple hundred people can actually sit down and watch a live race," he said.


http://www.chron.com/sports/article/Ohio-s-new-racinos-told-don-t-forget-horse-racing-4361220.php