Virginia Racing Commission; simulcast horse racing, allocations. (HB2313)

Introduced By

Del. Terry Kilgore (R-Gate City) with support from co-patrons Del. Gordon Helsel (R-Poquoson), Del. Riley Ingram (R-Hopewell), and Del. Johnny Joannou (D-Portsmouth)

Progress

Introduced
Passed Committee
Passed House
Passed Senate
Signed by Governor
Became Law

Description

Virginia Racing Commission (VRC); simulcast horse racing; allocations. Provides for the issuance of an infrastructure license by the VRC for persons meeting the following requirements: (i) the applicant owns a facility that has been approved by local referendum, (ii) the applicant meets the requirements for the issuance of an owner's license, and (iii) such facility contains racing infrastructure of a one-mile dirt track, a seven-eighths-mile turf course, covered seating for no fewer than 1,000 persons, and barns with no fewer than 900 permanent stalls. The bill also authorizes wagering on historical horse racing at horse racetracks or satellite facilities owned or operated by the infrastructure licensee. The bill also requires regulations of the VRC to prohibit any satellite facility or unlimited licensee racetracks that are not under common majority ownership to operate within 75 miles of one another. The bill revises the definition of simulcast horse racing to include live or prerecorded horse races from licensed tracks or satellite facilities. The bill also allocates the proceeds from such racing, with 40 percent to be paid into the general fund, 50 percent to be to the infrastructure licensee, and the remaining percentage to be distributed among various horsemen's groups, the Virginia Breeders Fund, and the Virginia Tourism Authority. The bill (a) defines historical horse racing; (b) requires VRC-licensed racetracks in the Commonwealth to enter into a contract for the provision of compulsive gambling educational programs, including information on the availability of compulsive gambling counseling; and (c) requires the promulgation of emergency regulations by the VRC. The bill contains technical amendments to reflect that there is no longer an unlimited licensee of the VRC. Read the Bill »

Outcome

Bill Has Failed

History

DateAction
01/22/2015Presented and ordered printed 15103156D
01/22/2015Referred to Committee on General Laws
02/10/2015Left in General Laws

Video

This bill was discussed on the floor of the General Assembly. Below is all of the video that we have of that discussion, 2 clips in all, totaling 42 seconds.