Rochester, MN – In what was an eventful week for the future of horse racing in Minnesota, The Minnesota Racing Commission started things off by approving the request of Canterbury Park and Running Aces to approve the installation of Historical Horse Racing (HHR) machines beginning on May 21, 2024.

And amendment to the request by Commissioner Raymond Dehn put off the effective date in order to give the legislature a chance to amend the sports betting bill (or other accommodation) working its way through the legislative process to provide adequate relief for the tracks if they are to be excluded from participating in legal sports betting. 

In addition to the race tracks, testifying in favor of HHR were horse owners, breeders and organizations.  In opposition were lawyers for the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association and a representative from Citizens Against Gambling Expansion.

The author of the sports betting legislation in the House, Rep. Zack Stephenson, immediately filed legislation that would, as written, effectively force the tracks to close.  His bill, designed to ban HHR, went so far as to prohibit multi-race wagers such as daily doubles, pick 3, pick 4 and pick 5 wagers and could be interpreted to ban progressive meters and side bets from the card clubs.  Additionally, his bill would ban electronic table games at the racetracks though presumably they would be allowed to continue at the Native casinos.

Sources have indicated that the intention of the bill was not to shutter the race tracks but to only eliminate HHR and the bill will be amended to reflect that.  In a social media post, however, Minnesota HBPA President Justin Revak stated that he had seen a draft of the amendment and that it falls short in several areas:

The bill, HF 5274, was quickly dubbed “the revenge bill” by racing supporters.  It will have its first hearing later today at 1 PM in the Committee of Finance and Policy at the state capitol complex. The proceedings can be followed here: https://www.house.mn.gov/live/1.

[NOTE: Editorial comments] If there is a compromise to be had, time is running out to find it. The all or nothing approach, so prevalent in politics in the last decade or so, with its insistence on winners and losers, will do nothing to benefit the people of Minnesota. While horsemen need to be able to accept something if they don’t get everything, it must be expected that compromise starts with the situation before the legislative session began not with HF 5274. For others, the ability to give to the racetracks an uncapped percentage of revenue in exchange for not having sports betting or HHR machines should be on the table.

There is no reason that a win/win can’t come out of the current quagmire but there needs to be civil discussion, not winner take all or revenge politics.  Good public policy is the goal, not the elimination of thousands of jobs and millions in tax revenue.