Track bill could cost Plainville
BOSTON -- Legislators on Beacon Hill are in the middle of their yearly fight over simulcasting rights for state racetracks.
But this time, horse track advo cates say the proposed legislation gives an advantage to dog tracks that could cost the residents of Plainville money and jobs.
“They're very dependent on the horse industry in our neck of the woods,'' said Rep. Richard Ross, R-Wrentham.
“(The bill) would cost the town of Plainville maybe a quarter of a mil lion dollars a year in lost revenue,'' he said, estimating that as many as 80 jobs would also be lost.
Simulcasting facilities broadcast live races from around the country and even the world, drawing patrons for the viewing experience and a chance to bet. Each year the simulcasting laws expire and need to be renewed.
Backers of Plain ridge Racecourse in Plainville say an amendment to the legislation this year would benefit the Raynham Park grey hound racetrack, at the expense of the nearby Plainville track, because it would remove current restrictions on when and how much the dog track could simulcast. “Basically they want to be able to simulcast regardless of what is going on at any other track, and make no concessions,'' Ross said.
That would include simulcasting when Plainridge was racing live, which could draw business from the horse track. Ross said the dog track already has an advantage because greyhounds are much less expensive to maintain. They do not require jock eys or grazing fields, so the current law was drawn up with that in mind.
“Consequently, it was purposely designed that simulcasting was tilted more in favor of being done at the harness tracks, rather than the dog tracks,'' he said.
Citing the narrowing profits among the horse and dog tracks in the state, Ross said the new legislation was “a power play to decide who is going to survive and take over that quarter of the industry that is able to stay viable."
State Rep. David Flynn, D-Bridgewater, who represents interests of the Raynham area, did not respond to phone calls for a comment on proposed changes in the simulcasting law.
Many consider simulcasting essential, especially after a bill that would have allowed slot machines at Massachusetts' racetracks was defeated in the House this past spring.
But after months of attempts regarding the proposed legislation, Ross said he gave up his delaying tactics in the House two weeks ago, when he withheld his objection -- for now -- and let the bill pass to the Senate. The Senate has yet to address the issue.
“I felt I was potentially making some enemies," Ross said. “I thought that perhaps Sen. Brown, with his relationship with the Senate president, might be able to do some things on his side that I'm not able to do over here."
State Sen. Scott Brown, R-Wrentham is already working to fix the bill, which he interprets as giving the dog track “one-upsmanship'' over the other tracks.
“It would devastate the horse racing industry," he said.
Brown said he planned to meet with Senate President Robert Travaglini.
“I'm going to reaffirm and reiterate that it's not fair to make these changes," Brown said, stressing the need to bring Plainridge and other interested parties into the discussion.
Brown expressed his frustration that the issue of simulcasting has to be hammered out every year, something he has suggested be changed.
The current legislation only authorizes simulcasting to continue through December.
“If it expires, all the tracks basically go black and they lay off employees,'' Brown said.
But Brown knows from experience that simulcasting is an issue that often drags on until the last moment. And it might be harder to resolve this year than in the past.
“There's some bad blood, I think, based on the slot machines vote,'' Brown said.
Ross, who is finishing his first two-year term, said simulcasting has been “the bane of my existence.''
“I understand that the Legislature has been fighting over this for a long, long time,'' Ross said.
“Someone said that there used to be a time that when simulcasting was being debated you'd actually have FBI agents in the building, just monitoring the activities to see what was influencing the deals.
“That's not the kind of stuff that's happening these days. Now it's the four racetrack owners who all want to kill each other,'' he said.