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Showing posts with label Gambling Commission. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gambling Commission. Show all posts

Saturday, December 7, 2019

State regulators wade through Mashpee tribe’s casino issues





ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

REEL WAMPS

WAMPALEAKS

GLADYS KRAVITZ

carverchick


State regulators wade through Mashpee tribe’s casino issues







Gaming Commission updated on Wampanoag’s ongoing legal battles.
BOSTON — As they continue to mull the question of issuing the final casino license available under an 8-year-old law, gaming commissioners were brought up to speed Thursday on the complex web of litigation and legislation surrounding the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe’s quest to secure land in trust, on which it intends to build a casino in Taunton.
The briefing from the Gaming Commission’s executive director and legal team was meant to give the decision-makers a sense of the ongoing legal wrangling over the decision to approve the tribe’s land in trust, which was granted by the Obama administration but overturned and thrown into doubt by the Trump administration. The tribe planned to construct its $1 billion First Light Resort and Casino on tribal land in Taunton, a project that would have a significant impact on the state’s commercial casino industry.
Region C, the commission’s name for Bristol, Plymouth, Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket counties, has been an unsettled matter for the commission for years. In 2016, when it appeared a tribal casino in Taunton was likely, regulators rejected a proposal for a commercial casino in Brockton. Since then, the commission has discussed reopening the bidding for Region C, but has not been in any rush to take that step.
“What we’re attempting to do here is to provide a framework for the beginning of that discussion,” Executive Director Edward Bedrosian told commissioners at the outset of the briefing Thursday.
A federal judge’s ruling later in 2016 nullified the Obama administration’s decision to grant the Wampanoag a 320-acre reservation on which the tribe planned to construct a resort casino and President Donald Trump’s administration last year officially reversed the Obama-era declaration.
Since then, the tribe’s efforts to secure its land in trust status have been tied up in federal court. Deputy General Counsel Todd Grossman walked commissioners through the three main cases at play. One is Littlefield et al. v. U.S. Department of the Interior, in which a judge ruled in 2016 that the land could not be held in trust. That verdict was appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit and the appeal remains pending.
There’s also a case in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia — Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe v. Interior Secretary David Bernhardt — in which the tribe argues that the Department of the Interior secretary failed to properly consider extensive factual evidence it submitted to make the case that it should be eligible for land in trust.
Associate General Counsel Justin Stempeck told commissioners that the D.C. district case is “pending with multiple current summary judgment motions” and he estimated that no resolution would come until the latter end of a six- to nine-month window.
As the tribe works to secure its land in trust through the courts, U.S. Rep. William Keating, who represents Taunton and Mashpee, has pushed legislation that would use the power of Congress to reaffirm the 2015 decision by the Interior Department to take land into trust for the tribe, though Trump has opposed it.
The U.S. House of Representatives voted 275-146 in May to approve that bill, titled the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Reservation Reaffirmation Act, and it has not moved since being referred to the U.S. Senate that same month.
In addition to getting up to speed on the lawsuits and federal legislation involving the tribe, the commission also agreed in October to have its staff draft a request for information that would solicit information on all sorts of relevant Region C matters, like the state of the gaming market, local support and more.
Commission Chairwoman Cathy Judd-Stein said she was interested in questions that “reflect the struggle we have with respect to equity” and include an examination of the statewide implications of a Region C casino as well as the impact to the surrounding communities.
“I think we do have an obligation to consider the best interest of the commonwealth as well as the region,” she said. “It’s not lost on I don’t think any of us here that Region C folks, not all, may be interested in having a casino because of the economic benefits that we’ve seen coming through both regions A and B, yet we are not obligated ... to issue another license. So I am particularly interested in the question around the impact of Region C in the absence of our issuing a license.”
One concern, as expressed by local officials and others, is that commercial casino operators might not be willing to invest the minimum $500 million in a project that could have to compete with a nearby tribal casino. If the Gaming Commission opts to go ahead with licensing a commercial casino in Region C and the tribe is allowed to open its own casino under federal law, Massachusetts would receive no tax revenue from the tribal casino.
The commission did not vote to take any particular action Thursday but agreed to provide feedback on an eventual new draft prepared by staff at a later date.




Saturday, October 26, 2019

Regulators want briefing on Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe’s casino status



Image result for REEL WAMPS



ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

REEL WAMPS

WAMPALEAKS

GLADYS KRAVITZ

carverchick

Regulators want briefing on Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe’s casino status


By Colin A. Young / State House News Service
Posted Oct 24,2019


Gaming Commission appears in no hurry to act on Region C license.
BOSTON — Gaming regulators want to know the exact status of federal litigation around the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe’s quest to secure land in trust before making a decision about the state’s third casino license, although Gaming Commission members appeared in no rush Thursday to begin accepting applications for a Southeastern Massachusetts casino.
The state commission agreed to have its executive director and legal team work up a comprehensive briefing on the ongoing legal wrangling over the decision to grant the tribe land in trust, which was approved by the Obama administration but overturned and thrown into doubt by the Trump administration. The tribe planned to build its $1 billion First Light Resort and Casino on tribal land in Taunton, a project that would have a significant impact on the state’s commercial casino industry.
“The commission’s staff, our legal department, have been following the status of the federal legislation and litigation that relates particularly to the complicated tribal matter ... I think it’s probably a good time to actually update us more formally through a memorandum. It’s very complicated,” Chairwoman Cathy Judd-Stein said. “I do think probably that needs to be formalized, because it’s an important part of the overall Region C evaluation and discussion.”
The uncertainty of Region C — the commission’s name for Bristol, Plymouth, Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket counties — has been an issue for years. In 2016, when it appeared a tribal casino in Taunton was likely, regulators rejected a proposal for a commercial casino in Brockton. A federal judge’s ruling later that year nullified the decision to grant the Wampanoag a 320-acre reservation on which the tribe planned to construct a resort casino, and President Donald Trump’s administration last year officially reversed the Obama-era declaration.
Since then, the tribe’s efforts to secure its land-in-trust status have been tied up in federal court. U.S. Rep. William Keating, who represents Mashpee, has pushed legislation that would use the power of Congress to reaffirm the 2015 decision by the Interior Department to take land into trust for the tribe, though Trump has opposed it.
On Thursday, Sen. Marc Pacheco told the commission he has been trying to get clarity on where things stand with the tribe’s legal battles and the congressional efforts to address its concerns.
“I made a call before I came over to try to figure out what was happening at the federal level, and my sources tell me we probably won’t know too much until the end of the year,” Pacheco said.
Pacheco, who lives in and represents the city where the tribe hopes to build its casino, said he supports the commission’s plan to gather more information before making a decision one way or the other.
“I’m here to ask the commission to continue with your thoughtful deliberation about everything that is going on and to not make a decision, even though it may be in our best interest, because it’s within your jurisdiction under existing law to go out for a commercial casino if the commission chooses to,” he said. “If I know that there is absolutely no way that a Native American casino can come to be in Region C, I’d be one of the first people here to urge you to do so. But if that uncertainty still looms out there at any level, it will have a significant effect on those that even bid.”
The concern, as expressed by Pacheco and others, is that commercial casino operators might not be willing to invest the minimum $500 million in a project that would have to compete with a nearby tribal casino. If the Gaming Commission opts to go ahead with licensing a commercial casino in Region C and the tribe is allowed to open its own casino under federal law, Massachusetts would receive no tax revenue from the tribal casino.
Although the commission took no formal vote related to Region C, the decision to seek more information suggested it is in no hurry to make a ruling on the one remaining casino license.
Commissioner Enrique Zuniga stressed that it will be crucial for the commission to conduct its own economic analysis of the Region C market, noting that the two resort casinos that already have opened in other regions of the state are coming up short of their own revenue projections.
“I currently feel no sense of urgency ... if we have not seen the levels that the applicants themselves predicted, because they did predict certain revenues from year one and they’re not currently seeing those revenues,” Zuniga said. “I would rather, frankly, see how it goes, do more analysis and understand better how they’re competing in the market. It’s early, in my opinion.”
A spokeswoman for the Mashpee tribe did not respond to a request for comment Thursday night.


ICYMI FROM REEL WAMPS


Federal investigations stop everything


Cedric was not alone in selling us out. His Council cronies voted with him on every money transfer and bad deal ever made.
The tribe’s outside auditors had some bad news for the Council.  They were not able to complete their audit because of the federal grand jury investigation.  The current Treasurer, Gordon Harris, former treasurer Robbie Hendricks and according to our sources Cromwell business partner and former treasurer Mark Harding have all been subpoenaed to appear before a federal grand jury and it has possession of tribal  financial records. The auditors do not have access to those documents. And the auditors querries got a donut from the feds
IT GOT WORSE
That tricky Gaming Commission.  It was a dumping ground for millions of dollars each month.  NO ONE EVER KNEW WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT MONEY or How it was spent.
So now the bill comes due. The auditors couldn’t get much intell out of the feds…actually nothing.  But they

Yvonne, 30 years a council member never used her education or experience to help. Her silence was lethal as ever. Slithering into her hiding place like an eel.
know about these things.  There’s a clause in the financial agreement with the investors that says that if there’s  “bad faith” actions (and the auditor put it like this) :
” I’m not saying it happened, but let’s just say someone  in the gaming commission took between $100,000 and $1m….then the tribal assets are at risk.”
That means what land we own etc. would go to Genting for payment. A drop in the bucket compared to what we owe them. Cedric and his ouncil Cronies knew about the fine print so why didn’t the tribal attorneys or any of them tell us? Well, they had to keep getting that money…at any cost.
So now we’re in a really bad place.  Reel Wamps has to confess that pounding on Cedric Cromwell was not
enough.  He didn’t create this horror show alone.  He had a lot of help from the Council cronies. A really sorry lot. Jess$e Big Doe and  Mark(ie) Poo Harding leading the parade.  The ancestors are spinning in their graves. Everything Cedric did came with their vote of approval.  Their complicity was tantamount to their participating in the felony murder of the Tribe.  Just because you didn’t pull the trigger does not absolve the guilt. You must  have proof that you tried to stop the crime. They were cowards all the way.  They should be held accountable.
If we know the feds do too.









Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Wynn resort name under fire amid new sex claims


WYNN RESORTS is a publicly traded company and to date, no information has been forthcoming about the impacts of the $7.5 MILLION settlement and the impacts of the concealment. 

Wynn resort name under fire amid new sex claims

Jordan Graham Wednesday, February 28, 2018
Steve Wynn

Credit: Nancy Lane

Explosive new allegations — including rape — against toppled casino mogul Steve Wynn come as the state Gaming Commission has been flooded with unsolicited calls to drop the magnate’s name from the $2.4 billion Everett gambling palace.

Two new accusers have come forward, including one who told authorities Wynn raped her at least three times in the early 1970s, The Associated Press reported.

The woman, who was not identified, told police she was raped in her Chicago apartment by Wynn, and said she became pregnant and later gave birth in a gas station restroom, the AP added.

Another woman told Las Vegas police she was forced to quit her job as a card dealer after refusing to have sex with Wynn in 1976, the news agency added. 

The Wall Street Journal has already reported on a number of sexual harassment allegations against Wynn, including one from a former manicurist at his Las Vegas hotel, who allegedly received a $7.5 million payment from Wynn. State gaming officials have said Wynn took steps to keep that settlement private, including hiding it from investigators. 

Wynn has denied the allegations, blaming his ex-wife for the scandal.

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission said yesterday its investigation continues amid the new allegations.

“MCG continues to conduct an aggressive investigation on this very serious matter,” said Elaine Driscoll, a commission spokeswoman.

CHARLIE BAKER RECEIVED A GENEROUS CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION THAT WAS LAUNDERED THROUGH THE RNC.....STEVE WYNN WAS FINANCE CHAIR OF THE RNC UNTIL WYNN WAS FORCED TO RESIGN....HAS THE RNC RETURNED WYNN'S CONTRIBUTIONS?

Image result for STINKS



Gov. Charlie Baker also criticized Wynn, and said he supports the Gaming Commission’s investigation.

“Gov. Baker finds these allegations horrifying and deeply disturbing and expects them to be taken seriously,” said Lizzy Guyton, a spokeswoman for Baker, in a statement. “The governor believes it was the right decision for Wynn resorts to terminate its relationship with Mr. Wynn in light of recent disturbing allegations.”

In the roughly one month since the allegations first surfaced, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission has been hit with unsolicited calls for the Everett casino, called the Wynn Boston Harbor, to be barred from using Wynn in its name.

“I absolutely do not want the Everett Casino to bear the name of Steve Wynn, someone who routinely sexually harassed and assaulted others,” one comment says. “Putting his name on the Boston skyline is an insult to our community.”

The commission has broad power to regulate casinos, but it is unclear if they could demand a name change.
Michael Weaver, a spokesman for Wynn Resorts, said the company will not act on a name change.
“Opinions are running high right now on the topic of changing the name on our Boston resort,” Weaver said. “Wynn is a $25 billion brand supported by 25,000 employees worldwide; it is not about one person. Now is not the right time to quickly consider a name change, considering the global implications of such a decision.”

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/local_coverage/2018/02/wynn_resort_name_under_fire_amid_new_sex_claims




Wednesday, February 21, 2018

'OMG!': Emails reveal shock as the Massachusetts Gaming Commission reacted to Steve Wynn allegations


'OMG!': Emails reveal shock as the Massachusetts Gaming Commission reacted to Steve Wynn allegations



On the afternoon of Jan. 26, when a copy of the Wall Street Journal's explosive report on sexual misconduct allegations against casino mogul Steve Wynn landed in Massachusetts Gaming Commission chairman Steve Crosby's email inbox, his reaction consisted of three letters.
"OMG!" Crosby wrote in an email to his wife, after the Gaming Commission's director of communications forwarded the story to the commission's top brass.
Crosby, his fellow commissioners and their staff would swiftly be swamped with media inquiries and outraged comments from members of the public, as the regulatory body attempted to respond to the growing crisis.
In another email, Crosby described the allegations as a "stink bomb" that had hit the commission.
While the $2.4 billion Wynn Boston Harbor casino had faced legal challenges before, the commission quickly realized that the fallout from the Journal's story would be of another magnitude entirely.
"These fires burn so hot they can consume anything they touch," Crosby said in responding to another email about the allegations. "Hopefully we can do this right."
MassLive has obtained thousands of pages of the Gaming Commission's emails from the week the story broke, following a public records request.
A review of the emails offers a glimpse into how the state's gaming regulators reacted to the growing controversy. And the emails show the commission was closely tracking how the Wynn scandal played out in the media.
Hours after commissioners met to discuss the allegations on Jan. 31, as well as face questions from reporters, Crosby forwarded one article to the Gaming Commission's chief investigator, Karen Wells, with the note, "I think we did pretty damn well in this one!" 
The Gaming Commission withheld emails related to the agency's ongoing investigation into Wynn and privileged messages between commission staff and attorneys.
On Jan. 26, the Journal reported that Wynn had paid a $7.5 million settlement in 2005 after a manicurist at one of his casinos alleged that he pressured her into having sex against her will. Steve Wynn called the allegations "preposterous."
Dozens of other people who worked at Wynn's casinos told the Journal of a years-long pattern of sexual advances toward female employees, including exposing himself to and requesting sexual services from massage therapists who worked for his company.
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission quickly launched a review of whether Wynn's alleged conduct put the company in violation of regulations -- most notably, a requirement that gaming companies and their individual officers be found "suitable" for a gaming license.
Wynn and his company passed that review in 2013, but at a Jan. 31 public hearing the commission confirmed that the company had not disclosed the settlement to investigators at the time.
The commission's review is ongoing with no stated end date. Under Massachusetts' 2011 Massachusetts casino law, the Gaming Commission has the right to revoke or suspend the casino licenses for individuals and companies who violate regulations.
Wynn has denied any allegations of assault and claimed the accusations were instigated by his ex-wife Elaine Wynn, with whom he was embroiled in a shareholder dispute. The Las Vegas billionaire, who grew his initial casino investments in the 1960s into an international gaming empire, resigned as CEO of his namesake company on Feb. 6.
Shortly after the story broke Crosby asked outside experts for guidance.
"Needless to say, we are swamped in Mass with how to deal with the Wynn allegations. You got out at the right time!" wrote Crosby to former Nevada Gaming Control Board Chairman A.G. Burnett, who left his post in December. "If you were willing, I'd like very much to get some informal advice from you on this."
Crosby also received an email from corporate governance consultant Hal Shear, and responded by asking for background on how Wynn's board should handle the situation.
"Just what we needed. If his board deals with it, easy for us. If not, hmmm," Crosby wrote to Shear.
Shear also had sent Crosby an email containing a Bloomberg story from earlier that day, Jan. 28, headlined, "Harassment Claims Add to History of Issues With Wynn Board."
The Bloomberg article said the Wynn Resorts board has faced criticism for "weak corporate governance and deference to its founder and chairman." The article added, "Institutional Shareholder Services Inc., the proxy advisory firm, last year gave Wynn Resorts its worst ranking for governance risk. "
Shear's email to Crosby carried the following subject line: "too bad your guys didn't flag some of this."
"Not saying I would have used this to have negated the deal, but it shows pretty poor practices," Shear wrote.
In another email, Gaming Commissioner Lloyd Macdonald highlighted the outsize role Wynn plays in his company's projects, and the challenges facing the commission in its investigation.
"There is no silver bullet here. To state the obvious, what makes the stakes so high is that Wynn is the personal driving force of almost every decision relating to design, presentation and quality of the gaming operation and resort," Macdonald wrote to Crosby.
"But we must hold him accountable," added Macdonald, who was not on the commission when they selected Wynn in 2014. "Fortunately, at this time the most important thing is the facts, and our commitment to get to the bottom of them must be unambiguous."
Work on Wynn Boston Harbor has not stopped, and the casino is still scheduled to open in Everett, just outside of Boston, in June 2019.
MassLive reporter Gintautas Dumcius contributed to this report.
http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2018/02/there_is_no_silver_bullet_emai.html



Amid Wynn investigation, people should 'sit tight and see what happens,' Massachusetts Gaming chairman says

http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2018/02/amid_wynn_investigation_people.html



Here's what Massachusetts investigators are looking into after Steve Wynn hit with allegations of sexual misconduct










Wednesday, January 31, 2018

The loss of Steve Wynn's MA casino license







We submitted the comments below to the MA Gambling Commission as they begin an emergency "suitability review" of Steve Wynn for a MA casino license. The Commission is meeting today at 2pm. I encourage you to let them hear your voice as well by sending comments to mgccomments@state.ma.us

January 31, 2018

RE: Comments Regarding Suitability Review of Steve Wynn for Massachusetts Casino License

To the Massachusetts Gambling Commission:

As the Commission examines the growing sexual abuse scandal engulfing casino operator Steve Wynn, we are writing to ask your suitability review center on one central question:

“Is The Wall Street Journal investigative report about Wynn’s sexual abuse of women accurate or did The Wall Street Journal get it wrong?”

If the Commission’s review finds The Wall Street Journal reported the facts accurately, then Wynn is a sexual predator who would not pass a suitability standard for any vocation except for inmate. His license should be revoked immediately.
Best,
Les Bernal
National Director
Stop Predatory Gambling
________________________________
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If you share our beliefsplease help sustain our work by making a tax-deductible, financial gift today of $10 or more.



Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Stephen Crosby: Beating a Dead Horse?



Taxpayers are subsidizing a Dead Industry....and now what?

Extensive HEARINGS were held in Beacon Hill....lawmakers genuflected to the racing industry, gave them what they wanted.....

The Gambling Vultures OWN you once you invite them in....lawmakers will genuflect...YOU can bet on it!



Crosby to lawmakers: Give me the power to save horse racing
 
Gaming Commission chairman Stephen Crosby really doesn’t want to give up that multimillion-dollar state horse-racing fund. From SHNS’s Colin Young: “The chairman of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission pressed lawmakers Tuesday to give the commission the ability to restructure oversight of the horse racing industry in hopes of a sparking a revitalization. While standardbred racing has seen a resurgence tied to the slots parlor in Plainville, Thoroughbred racing is near its all-time low in Massachusetts.”
SHNS (pay wall)



Thursday, July 6, 2017

Casino tax winds up with state’s well-heeled horse owners





The only source for this fund at this time is the Plainridge Slot Barn.

Casino tax winds up with state’s well-heeled horse owners

Jack EncarnacaoMatt Stout Thursday, July 06, 2017



Credit: John Wilcox

COMPETING INTERESTS: Horses leave the gate at Suffolk Downs, above, which has received millions in casino taxes that critics would like to spend elsewhere.

Taxpayers have been fattening the winning purses of wealthy horse owners at Suffolk Downs the past two years thanks to the Bay State’s horse racing fund, which is fueling their six-figure payouts at a time critics are howling for the money to go to better priorities for the budget-strapped state government.

The cumulative winnings, detailed in a Herald analysis of payouts from the East Boston track, have been financed entirely by the $35 million in tax dollars the Race Horse Development Fund has taken in since 2015, when the state’s first slots parlor opened.

The fund was meant to bolster the purses — the winnings paid out to horse owners — that struggling Massachusetts tracks can offer to attract top thoroughbreds. The fund is made up mostly of taxes on casino revenues, and is parceled out to tracks by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.

The fund has become a popular target for lawmakers facing a potential $1 billion budget shortfall, including a Senate proposal to tap it for $13 million for “pressing environmental, conservation and recreation needs.”

The well-heeled owners of winning horses at Suffolk Downs since 2015 include:

• Patricia Moseley ($176,350 in winnings), the widow of former Suffolk Downs owner James
B. Moseley and daughter of Crocker Snow, who founded one of Boston’s first commercial airlines. She lives on the family estate in Hamilton;

• Teresa Horky ($160,900), the CEO of Pegasus Solutions, a successful tax preparation, health care consulting and financial consulting firm she founded; and

• Joseph DiRico ($157,950), a VP at his family’s third-generation company, Hub Folding Box in Mansfield. His late father, Alfred, also took home $45,000 in purse winnings from Suffolk Downs in 2015.

Greg Sullivan, a former state inspector general now with the Pioneer Institute, said it “makes no sense” for casino taxes to end up in wealthy horse owners’ pockets, especially after Suffolk Downs lost a bid to build its own casino and in May, cashed in on the $155 million sale of the property.

“Now here we are, Suffolk Downs is being sold, and they’re sitting on this pile of money, which is winding up in the pockets of millionaires at a time when Massachusetts is essentially broke,” Sullivan said.

“This should be terminated immediately, and those funds should be used for important purposes in Massachusetts.”

State Rep. Brad Jones, who has proposed diverting a portion of the fund to community preservation, said the payouts illustrate how the racing industry plays to wealthier residents.
“Generally speaking, it’s an older clientele and a more affluent clientele,” Jones, the House minority leader, said of horse racing. “That’s a very finite universe. And I think it does raise the question, is that the best place to put these resources from gaming?”

Where were you when GAMBLING LEGISLATION was proposed? Silent? 

The owners defended the six-figure hauls, arguing the data don’t show how much they are investing to support local horse farms and related trades with the winnings.

Paul Umbrello, executive director for the New England Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, said it could often take $35,000 to $50,000 to breed and train just a single horse.

“They’re not going to put (purse winnings) in their pocket and buy a car — they’re going to turn it back into whatever it takes to raise these horses, which is considerable,” Moseley told the Herald. “I don’t know what form racing’s going to take, if any, but it won’t take any if they don’t have some of this support.”

Horky argued that in her 20-plus years in the industry, she’s lost money the vast majority of the time, adding that she’s “paid more to Massachusetts farms than I won.”

“You put it all back into that industry in hopes to keep it open and running, and having some space for children to see there’s something with four legs besides a dog,” she said.

Commission spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll said tracking who ends up winning money from the purse fund “suggests a misunderstanding of its purpose and operation.” She said it helps support an entire network of breeders, trainers, veterinarians and jockeys.

Since 2015, the fund has taken in $35.4 million and paid out $22.4 million, 80 percent of which is earmarked for purses. Prior to the that, when Suffolk Downs ran scores of races each year, purses were funded by whatever was left of the money wagered — dubbed the “handle” — after taxes were taken out and the track took its cut.

Suffolk Downs is hosting six days of racing this summer, with the first scheduled for Saturday and, again, the fund supporting all the purses.

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/local_coverage/2017/07/casino_tax_winds_up_with_state_s_well_heeled_horse_owners