OCALA, FL (352today.com) – The thoroughbred industry’s impact resonates far beyond the state’s borders.
But for how much longer?
Decoupling would separate or eliminate the interrelationship between the racetrack, Gulfstream Park, and their casino, separating the licenses. At Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar, FL, the racetrack license would be separated from its cardroom, providing the tracks with the option of operating the casino, as in Gulfstream’s case, without holding live racing. Tampa Bay Downs would have the option of operating the cardroom without conducting a live racing meet.
In 2021, thoroughbred racing was excluded from a decoupling bill, with the thoroughbred industry standing steadfast in their opposition to decoupling, a tenet that remains in place today.
Tampa Bay Downs issued a statement on Feb. 13, reinforcing their commitment to maintaining live thoroughbred racing at their venue.
“Very meaningful support has been provided by the Florida legislature in recent years and Tampa Bay Downs will continue its efforts to achieve enhancement of purses to remain competitive on a national scale and to support live racing of thoroughbreds in Florida for many years to come,” an excerpt from the statement said.
A bill (HB 105) was introduced by Adam Anderson (R-Palm Harbor) to decouple the thoroughbred racing license from its casino at Gulfstream Park, located in Hallandale Beach, FL, which is owned by 1/ST Racing, an entertainment and real estate company based in Aurora, Ontario, Canada.
“When one looks at the total economic impact from the thoroughbred industry, it’s a wonder that the state has to subsidize the industry at all,” said Rep. Yvonne Hayes Hinson, D-Gainesville, whose district includes part of Marion County.
The bill moved on from the House Industries and Professional Activities Subcommittee after being approved by a 12-4 vote on Feb. 5 in Tallahassee.
“Frankly, I think that subsidy may have been an impetus to where we are now,” said Hinson. “It’s supporting the effort to decouple. It clearly was the owner of the Hallandale racetrack (Gulfstream Park).”
Past precedents show that similar measures have led to the decline of certain industries. The 2021 bill that decoupled jai alai, quarter horse racing, and standardbred racing from their casino licenses effectively ended those sports while allowing casinos to continue operating.
“I have witnessed the impact decoupling has had on the sport itself,” said Hinson. “The impact will be severe. These are legacy families that have been involved with the thoroughbred industry for decades. This is how they were born and lived. The impact that decoupling would have on jobs, and the overall industry is going to take a big hit.”
Some suggest decoupling could allow the thoroughbred industry to prove its viability independently. However, the precedent set by Amendment 13, which ended greyhound racing in 2018, and the 2021 decoupling bill, which led to the demise of standardbred and quarter horse racing, sets an ominous tone for this legislation.
“If history has any evidence of what’s going to happen, it’s going to die (based on the previous precedent),” said Hinson. “Hopefully, the industry itself, if it’s making that kind of money, can rebrand. But to build new racetracks, and I say we loosely, if we don’t have access to the world-renowned racetracks that are already out there and are already marketable, I don’t know how they survive. I’m thinking that the racetracks that are already out there would have to be reinvented. You can’t have racing without a track.”