JOINT MARKETING AGREEMENT EXPIRED AT MIDNIGHT

ROCHESTER, MN – As 2023 rings in across the state of Minnesota, not all was renewal and hope. The historic 10-year joint marketing agreement between Canterbury Park and the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, proprietors of Music Lake and Little Six casinos, expired with no announcement of renewal, renegotiation or extension.

The announcement in December of Canterbury’s reduced racing dates request represents an effort by the racetrack to keep purse amounts competitive without the additional funds. While 2023 is expected to be down slightly, purses should be competitive. What is unknown, however, is what will happen heading into 2024 and beyond.

The track has invested heavily in its racing future with a new lighting system, new barns and a reconfiguration of the backside, including the training track, so the future direction is absolutely geared to racing at the Shakopee oval. How that racing will be supported beyond wagering and the card casino remains to be seen.

The 2023 legislative session will kick off shortly and on the burner is discussion of sports wagering in Minnesota where battle lines have already been drawn between the state’s Native American casinos and the two racetracks, Canterbury and Running Aces Harness Park.

The sponsor of the 2022 House legislation, Rep. Zack Stephenson (DFL-Coon Rapids), has repeatedly stated that only the casinos should have sports better because they are the “experts” on wagering in the state, even though Canterbury Park has been accepting wagers on a sport, horse racing, for four years before Jackpot Junction became the state’s first casino in 1989.

The Senate legislation allowed both the racetracks and casinos to operate sports wagering. Because the chambers could not come to agreement, the legislation died. In 2023, though, the Republican majority in the Senate has evaporated and the DFL has signaled that they may be amenable to passing legislation that will exclude the tracks from participating. Governor Tim Walz has indicated he will sign the legislation if it reaches his desk.

With the shackles of the agreement off (Canterbury was expressly forbidden to promote or support additional gaming legislation in the state while the agreement was in force), Canterbury is now free to join Running Aces in pushes for sports wagering, slot machines of historical horse racing machines.

The last 10-years have been relatively peaceful years in the Minnesota gaming community thanks to the agreement. As the new year dawns, however, old battles are set to waged anew. Stay tuned as this story develops over the next few months.

CHANGE TO THIS SITE

ROCHESTER, MN – We have taken the opportunity this off-season to give the site a much needed facelift. We’ve tried to make the site more readable and clean, with fewer distractions and better load times. There will still be some tweaking to be done with colors and fonts and possibly some other items (like trying to get our actual follower count to show below for Facebook and Twitter!), but we’re hopeful that this new format is easier on the eyes and provides the reader with a better experience.

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Happy New Year, everybody!