Please consider the following excerpts and substantive recommendations from my recent column in the Virginian-Pilot. (https://pilotonline.com/opinion/columnist/guest/article_45a8da7c-a652-11e8-a57b-97553d390618.html)
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"Already, the backers of the machines have announced plans to purchase an old 140,000 square-foot Kmart building in south Richmond and turn it into an off-track betting facility (OTB) with up to 700 of these machines lining the walls. Many of the machines on the market feature only cartoon pictures of horses (all representing races already run), and do not appear to even meet the basic criteria for “pari-mutuel” wagering — the kind Virginians authorized for the live horse racing industry.
For something that’s allegedly all about horses, it sure looks a lot like an excuse to drop mini-casinos into communities that never had the chance to approve them.
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Now the Virginia Racing Commission is in the midst of crafting regulations that will determine key issues like the maximum number of historical horse racing machines statewide, how much local input there will be to place them in communities, and what standards the gaming devices will be required to meet in order to maintain their integrity. Since the legislative battle over historical horse racing machines has been fought and settled, now we must all ensure the regulations are written, administered and overseen in a way that is consistent with the law while adequately safeguarding the interests of localities and the well-being of citizens.
At a minimum, there should be a reasonable cap on the total number of machines statewide. Kentucky, the horse-racing mecca of the United States, has just over 1,800. Virginia certainly shouldn’t start beyond that, as we wade into these uncharted waters.
To the greatest extent possible, the machines should be a true extension of the horse racing industry, rather than merely an excuse for casino gaming. For starters, the machines should display the actual video replay of the horse races that are being wagered on, and the machines must fully comply with the definitions of pari-mutuel wagering — just like live horse races.
A portion of the profits should be set aside for a fund to help problem gamblers keep from ruining their lives and their families’ lives before eventually “saddling” the taxpayers with the expense of the numerous public services they will otherwise require.
Furthermore, since the cities and counties that passed referendums to allow OTB’s for live simulcast racing never contemplated slot-like devices and mini-casinos when they did so, the regulations should guarantee each community’s ability to determine whether it wants these mini-casinos in its area.
Finally, with the recent uncovering of documents exposing just how deeply intertwined the interests of the state Racing Commission and industry stakeholders are, the Racing Commission should be disqualified from the role of creating, interpreting and enforcing these regulations. To borrow a phrase from a recent [Richmond Times Dispatch] article detailing those findings, this clearly reflects “an inherent conflict in a system that entrusts the commission, which promotes horse racing, with regulating the gambling-heavy enterprise that will bankroll the racing industry.”
If this process is allowed to continue as is, you can bet the farm who the real winners and losers will be when this all plays out."