NY Bidders Will Have Options
All nine members of the Committee on the Future of Racing in New York met on Monday to discuss the recent testimony given by more than 50 racing industry executives, NYRA officials, and interested members of the public and to consider how best to proceed with the bidding for the state’s racing franchise. The committee members agreed that the land NYRA’s three tracks sit on is owned by the state (a contention that NYRA strongly disputes), and will likely offer bidders multiple options for submitting proposals:
They’ll need that option because NYRA and the OTBs are separate entities, competing against each other, and New York racing law may or may not be overhauled in the next couple of years to reform this dysfunctional system. At least one lawmaker is warning potential bidders that it won’t. “I wouldn’t count on any sweeping changes in racing law. That doesn’t happen here,” said Racing & Wagering Committee chairman Gary Pretlow.
More from Alan at Left at the Gate:”The upcoming bidding process for the New York racing franchise took on the feel of a Chinese restaurant menu …”
