Horse tracks hit final stretch for electronic-games approval

Sean Murphy

Friday, July 22, 2005 | 9:08 a.m.

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Two of Oklahoma's horse racing tracks moved closer Thursday to operating electronic gaming machines at their facilities.

The Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission approved a procedural step toward issuing gaming licenses to Remington Park in Oklahoma City and Blue Ribbon Downs in Sallisaw. The commission delayed action for Will Rogers Downs in Claremore.

"This has been a good week for Remington Park," said Scott Wells, the track's general manager. "It just means work now will proceed in a 'full speed ahead' mode."

Construction on Remington Park's new gaming facility started on Wednesday, shortly after the track reached an agreement with the Oklahoma City Zoo Trust to pay at least $370,000 more per year to lease the racetrack property.

The agreement also calls for Remington Park to pay the zoo trust 1 percent for any profits above $60 million from the track's casino games. Some earlier reports had indicated that the figure was 0.5 percent.

Under a state question approved by voters in November, Remington Park is authorized to install 650 slot machines at its facility. Blue Ribbon Downs and Will Rogers Downs each are authorized for 250 machines.

Joe Lucas, president of the Thoroughbred Racing Association of Oklahoma, said the revenue generated from the gaming will allow for larger race purses and attract more top-quality horses to the state.

"The golden rule applies -- the horses are going to follow the money," said Lucas, who is also a Goldsby horse trainer. "Right now our horsemen and the breeders, trainers and owners are taking their horses to surrounding states where the purses are larger. This will put us on a much more level playing field in Oklahoma with the surrounding states."

Wells said he expects the gaming facility at Remington Park to be completed and fully operational by late November. He said he also anticipates Magna Entertainment Corp., the track's parent company, to invest about $35 million in improvements including landscaping, new barns, roof repairs and facility upgrades.

"We're really going to give the Remington Park facility a general facelift, as well as the construction of a first-class gaming facility," Wells said.

Frank Deal, general manager of Blue Ribbon Downs, said the gaming facility at the Sallisaw track is completed and ready to go once the track's gaming license is given final approval.

"The games are on standby and we are prepared to go within 72 hours," Deal said.

Before a final gaming license is issued, security plans must be approved and each gaming machine must be independently certified. Assistant Attorney General Neal Leader, general counsel for the commission, said he expects final approval of the gaming licenses to be considered at the next regular meeting on Aug. 11.

On Thursday the commission directed its staff to take steps toward approval of New Jersey-based Gaming Laboratories International Inc. for independent testing of the electronic games that will be placed at the horse tracks. The company, which verifies the integrity of the games, has more than 380 clients worldwide, including tribes, states and nations, said Bill Treger, director of development for GLI.

"This is very important in the never-ending, evolving world of gaming," Treger said. "If man makes it, man can cheat it."

The meeting was the last for Gordon Hare, who is retiring as the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission's executive director after 21 years. He is being replaced by Constantin Rieger, who served previously as assistant director of the Louisiana State Racing Commission.