BestCraps.com

Michigan Racetrack Owners Say Casino Gambling At Tracks Would Be Good For The Industry

Posted on June 3rd, 2010

News Sponsored by Online Vegas Casino

Rated 5 Stars by BestCraps.com

Read Review

Visit Casino

Download Software

————————————————

Around 50 or 60 years ago, horse racing in Michigan was so popular that crowds of more or less 15,000 were seen daily at Hazel Park. But interest in the activity has been observed to have diminished over the years, although some loyal and devoted fans have remained. Those involved in the horse racing business say the reason for the decline in the interest in horse racing, including harness racing, is the onset of other forms of gambling like the lottery, slot machine and casino gambling and lately, Internet gambling.

Michigan legalized the state lottery in the ‘70s, and soon, people wandered away from horse racing to try the newest gambling in town. In the ‘90s, casinos opened in Windsor and Detroit which successfully attracted more gamblers away from the tracks. Nowadays, anyone who has a computer can access gambling in the Internet anytime and anywhere.

Harness driver Keith Crawford said when the lottery started, the $100 a week that people used to bet at the track is now spent at the lottery. Crawford also cited a strike that took place at Casino Windsor in 2004 that brought about a 10 percent increase in bets at Hazel Park. Michigan’s law does not allow casino gambling at its racetracks, but recent moves have been taken to change the legal system, just like in other states across the country that allow their tracks to have slot machines and other games.

A petition drive is currently circulating with a goal to collect the required 386,000 qualified signatures in time for the July 5 deadline in order for the proposal to be included in the November general election ballot, giving Michigan voters the chance to decide whether or not to approve the proposal.

Hazel Park, expecting that the state would approve casino gaming proposal in 2004, built a 65,000 square-foot facility in which to hold the slot machines and a future hotel next to it, but the approval didn’t happen. Hazel Park is now raring to provide that accommodation again. Horse racing people say gambling would help the state, the track owners, the grooms, and the horse racing business as a whole.

Another option being put forward by a group, Racing to Save Michigan, led by the CEO of Hazel Park Raceway, Dan Adkins, is a bill that would amend the state constitution to allow five casinos at the state’s horse tracks and another three to be licensed at a later time. The five existing tracks in Michigan that would get casinos are Hazel Park Raceway, Northville Downs, Sports Creek Raceway, Pinnacle Race Course and Mount Pleasant Meadows.

The group’s idea calls for a 30 percent tax rate on the casino’s gross revenue. Seventy five percent of the revenue from the casinos would be used to fund public education, job training and activities associated with horse breeding and racing. Twenty percent would be shared by the counties depending on the population, three percent would be allotted to counties accommodating the casinos, and two percent would go to the cities where the casinos are located. A study done by gambling supporters estimates the casinos would incur gross yearly revenue of $578 million.

Records from the Michigan Gaming Control Board have shown that turnout at racetracks has dropped from 1.7 million to 1.1 million in the last decade. Betting also was down to $231 million from $417million for the last ten years. The board attributed the decline in part to the number of racing days that got lesser through the years. In the ‘80s, there was racing in all six days of the week and was reduced to five days a week in 1998. Currently, Hazel Park has Mondays, Fridays and Saturday nights for racing.