Dear Mayork Robert T Kennedy

Please help Freeport Bettors, Nassau OTB employees, and Nassau County Bettors challenge NY PML Sec 109. The Freeport Branch of Nassau OTB located on Sunrise Highway should be open 365 days of the year and not close on Roman Catholic Easter Sunday and Roman Catholic Palm Sunday in preference to Greek Orthodox Easter Sunday and Palm Sunday.  See NY Const. Art. 1, Sec. 3. Nassau OTB can't make money when it is closed. The NY Lottery and the slot machines of NY are open 365 days of the year. Nassau OTB Freeport Branch sells and cashes Lotto tickets (non IRS) in almost any amount. OTB workers should have the choice of whether to work or not while they can.  You remember NYC OTB? Bankrupt.
You remember Suffolk OTB? Filed for  Chapter 9 Bankruptcy.

Mayor

The Honorable Mayor Robert T Kennedy, of the Village of Freeport.

Contact Numbers
Office: 516-377-2252
Fax: 516-377-2323
Email: mayor@freeportny.gov
 

HI-

Thanks for the help. The item’s below. I’d be happy to mail you a copy, if you give me a mailing address.



Claude Solnik

(631) 913-4244

Long Island Business News

2150 Smithtown Ave.

Ronkonkoma, NY 11779-7348



Home > LI Confidential > Stop scratching on holidays
Stop scratching on holidays
Published: June 1, 2012


Off Track Betting in New York State has been racing into a crisis called shrinking revenue. Some people have spitballed a solution: Don’t close on holidays.

New York State Racing Law bars racing on Christmas, Easter and Palm Sunday, and the state has ruled OTBs can’t handle action on those days, even though they could easily broadcast races from out of state.

“You should be able to bet whenever you want,” said Jackson Leeds, a Nassau OTB employee who makes an occasional bet. He added some irrefutable logic: “How is the business going to make money if you’re not open to take people’s bets?”

Elias Tsekerides, president of the Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York, said OTB is open on Greek Orthodox Easter and Palm Sunday.

“I don’t want discrimination,” Tsekerides said. “They close for the Catholics, but open for the Greek Orthodox? It’s either open for all or not open.”

OTB officials have said they lose millions by closing on Palm Sunday alone, with tracks such as Gulfstream, Santa Anita, Turf Paradise and Hawthorne running.

One option: OTBs could just stay open and face the consequences. New York City OTB did just that back in 2003. The handle was about $1.5 million – and OTB was fined $5,000.

Easy money.

OPEN ON 1ST PALM SUNDAY, OTB RAKES IN $2M - NY Daily News

www.nydailynews.com/.../open-1st-palm-sunday-otb-rakes-2m-article-1.65...

OPEN ON 1ST PALM SUNDAY, OTB RAKES IN $2M. By Jerry Bossert / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS. Monday, April 14, 2003, 12:00 AM. Print · Print; Comment.

OTB FACES HAND SLAP OVER PALM - NY Daily News

www.nydailynews.com/archives/.../otb-faces-hand-slap-palm-article-1.6672...

Apr 16, 2003 - By Jerry Bossert / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS ... Aqueduct was also closed on Palm Sunday, but OTB thrived on action from around the country.