after kevin mccaffrey announced to union members on sunday aoril 26 that yrc and nassau otb were applying for federal money, he doubled down on april 15 telling. Nassau otb employees that he expected to be able to snnounce the results of otb's application on april 15. no dice. no blow scottie.
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Nassau OTB to employees: Retire, use time owed or work without pay
A Nassau Regional Off-Track Betting location in Franklin Square. Credit: Kevin P. Coughlin
Nassau Regional Off-Track Betting has asked its 132 employees to use accumulated sick and vacation time, work temporarily without pay or retire as the agency copes with the shutdown of its betting parlors during the coronavirus pandemic.
But Suffolk County OTB is paying its 300 employees as it seeks a loan under the new federal Payroll Protection Program designed to help businesses pay their workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, agency spokesman Jon Schneider said.
Suffolk OTB's annual payroll is approximately $16.6 million. Nassau OTB has $6.98 million in annual payroll.
"We're hopeful as a public benefit corporation, that we will be able to access some of these funds for employees," Schneider said. "We are able to retain our entire workforce."
Nassau OTB officials said they don't believe the federal program covers gambling entities.
Nassau OTB, also a public benefit corporation, is "ineligible as a gambling business for loans" from the PPP program, Nassau OTB general counsel Arthur Walsh said. But the agency has filed paperwork to qualify for the program, though officials are not hopeful the application will be successful, agency spokesman David Chauvin said.
Members of Congress and gaming industry leaders have urged the federal government to make clear that casinos are eligible for the loans if they retain their workforce during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Nassau OTB president Joseph Cairo said closure of the public benefit corporation's betting parlors and its 12 Fast-Track digital terminals in taverns and bars last month has meant "our operation basically shut down.”
“We took a big hit, our revenue went down drastically,” said Cairo, who also is chairman of the Nassau County Republican Committee.
Nassau OTB employees were paid through April 4.
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