NY Video-Streaming Approved for Another Year
What began as a one-year emergency program in the aftermath of the closure of the nation's biggest off track betting corporation has been given another year of life.
New York State Gaming Commission officials announced an agreement Dec. 22 to continue a program through 2016 that permits the state's tracks and off-track betting corporations to video-stream races.
The newest agreement was made with little fanfare, unlike the original Dec. 22, 2010, agreement that first permitted the video-streaming arrangement so patrons of the tracks and OTB parlors could watch races from home and make wagers via advance deposit wagering accounts.
Each December since then, the sides have had to get together to renew the compact for another year. The annual renewal, instead of a permanent arrangement, tracks the path taken by numerous other laws and agreements made in New York between the state, and an array of interests in which "temporary" arrangements are allowed to sunset after a year or two or more.
The video-streaming deal was first struck shortly after New York City Off-Track Betting Corp. was shut down in 2010, causing a major blow to pari-mutuel handle that the off-track betting giant provided for the New York Racing Association and other tracks. NYCOTB closed when a deal couldn't get through the state Senate that year.
Since then, there have been various and sometimes bold ideas to take steps for the pari-mutuel industry to formally re-enter the New York City marketplace. There has been talk of having the New York Racing Association open betting facilities in the city, and Catskill OTB Corp. has seen its bid to move operations into New York City scuttled by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
What is now the fifth amendment to the original 2010 agreement expires Dec. 22, 2016.
No comments:
Post a Comment