Santa Anita HHR-like machines removed by state

Santa Anita’s experiment of inserting a comparable model of Historical Horse Racing at the race monitor on Thursday got here to an abrupt halt on Saturday afternoon when law enforcement officers bodily removed the machines after racing ended.

Two officers at Santa Anita confirmed that representatives of the state Department of Justice removed the betting machines that had been put in on Wednesday and have been confiscated and removed from the monitor.

According to eyewitnesses a consultant of the Arcadia Police Department, along with a number of law enforcement officers with patches that read “California Department of Justice Attorney General,” got here into the grandstand space where the Racing on Demand machines had been situated and unplugged them, positioned them on handcarts and removed them from the building.

The staff working in the realm had been told to depart as about 15 officers confiscated the machines, including all the money in the machines.

The machines, which permit people to wager on past horse races in a slot-machine-type format, had been put into the grandstand space of Santa Anita on Thursday with no discover. Santa Anita didn’t promote the machines or point out it in its fan publication. It was called a smooth opening. The transfer to set up the machines got here without advance discover to the California Horse Racing Board.

It’s unclear who or what precipitated the elimination but the tribes, which control most non-pari-mutuel wagering in the state, told The Times that it will have a “full throated” response to the set up of the machines, which it says violates the tribal compact on playing. The tribes are a very highly effective drive in state politics and contribute tens of millions of {dollars} to political candidates.

A tribal chief who specializes in playing didn’t reply to a message.

Santa Anita believes the machines, which offer first, second and third betting on three past races, doesn’t violate the foundations for pari-mutuel playing. The tribes contend the slot-machine-like machines are a recreation of likelihood and under its purview. Santa Anita says because the mutuel pool will not be held in-house but between bettors that it’s a recreation of ability and allowed.

No doubt this is headed for litigation and the fact that the machines had been removed so shortly by the state attorney common’s workplace would possibly tip which facet has the early edge. The consortium that was making an attempt to convey this sort of wagering to California said it despatched a copy of its legal opinion to the attorney common in advance of the set up.

The CHRB also called for a legal opinion on the issue although the contents haven’t been made public.

“We stand firmly behind our legal analysis,” Scott Daruty, senior vice president of The Stronach Group, said in a assertion. “Racing On Demand operates under California’s long standing pari-mutuel wagering laws using a wager that regulators already approved. Attorney General [Rob] Bonta received our comprehensive legal analysis nearly a year ago.

“His office had ample time to raise concerns. They did not. We proceeded on solid legal ground, and since the state is choosing to challenge that now, we’re fully prepared to defend ourselves. We’re confident the law is clear.”

At stake is the future of California racing. The state is one of the few that receives no supplemental income from casino-type playing. Historical Horse Racing, permitting people to wager on past races with little handicapping data, has vastly elevated purses in Kentucky and other states, where it’s legal.

California is at a big drawback in purses because it doesn’t have the supplemental income. Santa Anita has not disclosed how a lot of this sort of wagering would go to purses.