Photographs posted to social media Jan. 17 and confirmed by longtime Southern California reporters Kevin Modesti and John Cherwa seem to indicate regulation enforcement officers eradicating Santa Anita Park‘s not too long ago put in “Racing On Demand” gaming terminals.
Modesti posted on X that the Department of Justice brokers eliminated the machines Saturday afternoon, two days after Santa Anita rolled out 26 Racing On Demand terminals with out formal public discover. The pari-mutuel gadgets, developed by PariMAX, a subsidiary of Santa Anita proprietor 1/ST Racing, base payouts on beforehand run horse races.
Before the shutdown, 1/ST Racing officers maintained the video games had been authorized underneath California regulation, stating that the gadgets had been pari-mutuel. The machines, which resemble slot machines however present horses on their terminal screens, supply a wager referred to as “Three-by-Three,” a $1 unique guess authorized by the California Horse Racing Board in April 2024. The CHRB authorized that wager with out the guess being pitched for supposed use on beforehand run races.
Scott Daruty, senior vp of 1/ST Racing, informed BloodHorse Jan. 16 that the product was geared toward serving to California racing stay aggressive with states that profit from different gaming income. California is the one main Thoroughbred racing state with out such supplemental funding to assist purses.
A regulation enforcement analysis was not sudden, given opposition to the gadgets from space tribes, who function casinos within the area; and anti-gaming forces.
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“We stand firmly behind our legal analysis,” Daruty famous in a Saturday night assertion. “Racing On Demand operates underneath California’s longstanding pari-mutuel wagering legal guidelines utilizing a wager that regulators already authorized. Attorney General Bonta obtained our complete authorized evaluation almost a yr in the past. His workplace had ample time to boost issues. They didn’t. We proceeded on strong authorized floor, and for the reason that state is selecting to problem that now, we’re totally ready to defend ourselves. We’re assured the regulation is obvious.“