Quote Originally Posted by know1 View Post
Does anyone else feel that there is something very fishy and rotten about the way they keep trying to push this through?

I'm not opposed to Casinos at all, but I just can't get over the fact they're ONLY going to allow them at certain race tracks and not just in general....which I interpret that to mean so their friends, buddies and cronies can profit, but nobody else.

The issue obviously doesn't have the support, yet it refuses to die and Beshear keeps harping on it.

Also those commercials that say the horse industry is losing money to neighboring states who do allow casino gambling at their tracks and it's UNFAIR.

First, I HATE the word unfair. Anytime someone brings that up I know I'm going to disagree with them.

Secondly, which of our neighboring states' horse industries are better than ours? Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Tennessee, West Virginia?

I say if we're going to have casinos, just open it up to any private enterprise who wants to start one, not just a select few people trying to get richer.
The reason they're only trying to get it at racetracks is because they think that's their only chance of getting it passed at all. A lot of politicians are opposed, like Senate President David Williams, Greg Stumbo, and others. But the reality is that without it, Kentucky's racing industry is going to suffer. The pari-mutuel wagering, gate, concessions, etc. just don't pull in enough money for them to compete with places like West Virginia, Delaware, and the others that have slots. A percentage of that slots revenue goes straight into purse money, meaning that in effect it goes straight into the horsemen's pockets. Churchill doesn't have the extra revenue, so they have smaller purses, meaning fewer horsemen bring their horses, so the fields are smaller, which leads to decreased attendance and handle, which leads to even smaller purses... It's a vicious cycle, and I hope our illustrious State Senate will wake up and smell the coffee before Kentucky racing goes the way of Maryland.