Rochester, MN – On Monday, April 1, The Minnesota Racing Commission will meet at the Nutrena Conference Center in St. Paul at 4 PM to hear public comment on the proposal from Running Aces and Canterbury Park to add advanced deposit wagering Historical Horse Racing (HHR) machines to their offerings that current include live horse racing and a card casino.
The Commission deadline to submit a request to speak at the meeting is 3:00 PM Friday, March 29. That is also the deadline for any written comments from anyone who wishes to have their views heard by the Commission. Comments and requests to speak should be emailed before the deadline to MRCLicensing@state.mn.us.
Currently both racetracks’ requests are available on the Commission website at https://mn.gov/mrc/rules-resources/hhr-request/.
Also on file are a letter in opposition from the Shakopee Mdwekanton Sioux Community, an opinion letter from Alcohol and Gambling Enforcement division of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety on the legality of HHR in Minnesota, letters of support from a dozen horsepeople as well as horsemen’s organizations and rebuttal letters from Evan Nelson from Maslon LLP on behalf of the racetracks.
The SMSC, formerly partners with Canterbury Park in a 10-year joint marketing agreement that expired at the end of 2022, objects to the games being installed five miles from their Mystic Lake and Little Six casinos on the grounds that they are illegal according to Minnesota law. While the AGE opinion agreed with the SMSC, attorney Nelson outlined in the tracks’ rebuttals on why the SMSC and AGE are incorrect based upon the specific technology to be employed by the tracks.
All these materials are accessible with the link above.
In the legislature, sports betting bills continue to advance and then stall with the interested parties: Native casinos, charitable gaming and the racetracks unable to come to an agreement that appeals to all parties. While the charities are afforded relief in the Senate bill, the portion allotted to the racetracks is insignificant given that the state’s Native American Nations would be given a monopoly on sports betting according to Rep. Zack Stephenson’s bill.
If not allowed to participate in sports betting, the tracks would like to see a significant portion of revenue to go to purse supplements and the bill, as currently constructed, provides an extremely limited portion of revenue.
Taro Ito, General Manager of Running Aces Harness Park, said in a statement: “Racetracks have offered sport betting since 1985 and taken millions of sport bets over the past 39 years. Why would racetracks be excluded, now?”
Both Ito and Canterbury Park CEO Randy Sampson have indicated that any solution that does not include substantive relief for the racetracks if they are excluded from sports betting could spell the end of horse racing in Minnesota.
On track, Canterbury Park is nearing completion of the three jumbo barns which will be ready for the 2024 season. The unseasonably good weather in Minnesota this winter has contributed to the construction staying ahead of schedule. Canterbury will also be constructing a 7 furlong chute just off the first turn to help make way for additional commercial development near the current 6.5 furlong chute.
Canterbury’s season begins on Saturday, May 18 (Preakness Stakes Day) at 5 PM. Running Aces season starts the following day, May 19, with a 6 PM first post.
