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Credit J. Tyler Franklin / WFPL
Legislation to keep slot machine-like historical racing games in Kentucky got its first hearing in the General Assembly on Thursday.
Senate Bill 120 seeks to codify historical racing in state law after the Kentucky Supreme Court ruled last year that the machines don’t qualify as “pari-mutuel wagering,” the gambling form traditionally used for betting on horse races.
Historical racing parlors have become lucrative businesses for some racetracks in Kentucky, which doesn’t permit traditional casinos.
Tom Drury, a horse trainer from Goshen, said revenue from historical racing has helped keep the horse industry afloat in the state.
A coalition of groups is urging the Kentucky General Assembly to raise the “deeply inadequate” tax rate on historical horse racing as lawmakers prepare to hear a bill that could keep that lucrative form of gambling alive. The 17 groups include the Kentucky Education Association, Jefferson County Teachers Association, Kentucky Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Kentucky Mental Health Coalition. They sent a letter to lawmakers on Monday arguing that historical horse racing could provide much-needed revenue for state services. “Legalizing this activity but failing to adequately tax it will continue to shortchange schools, health care, infrastructure and other vital services while giving the green light to further expand this rapidly growing form of gambling across the commonwealth,” the groups wrote. The slots-like gambling machines, which allow players to bet money on the outcomes of old horse races, were thrown into legal limbo last September by a unanimous Kentucky Supreme
Groups ask lawmakers to raise the tax on historical horse racing as they work to protect it John Cheves, Lexington Herald-Leader
Feb. 1 A coalition of groups is urging the Kentucky General Assembly to raise the deeply inadequate tax rate on historical horse racing as lawmakers prepare to hear a bill that could keep that lucrative form of gambling alive.
The 17 groups include the Kentucky Education Association, Jefferson County Teachers Association, Kentucky Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Kentucky Mental Health Coalition. They sent a letter to lawmakers on Monday arguing that historical horse racing could provide much-needed revenue for state services.