CasinoCityTimes.com

Home
Gaming Strategy
Featured Stories
News
Newsletter
Legal News Financial News Casino Opening and Remodeling News Gaming Industry Executives Search News Subscribe
Newsletter Signup
Stay informed with the
NEW Casino City Times newsletter!
SEARCH NEWS:
Search Our Archive of Gaming Articles 
 

Opinion More Horses Galloping up to the Indiana's Trough

19 November 2002

INDIANA -- As reported by the Indianapolis Star: ``The Indiana horse track business is like the kid who grows up, but never gets a place of his own.

``…In the case of Indiana's horse tracks, the role of the patient parents gets played by the state government of Indiana.

``Since Hoosier Park opened in Anderson eight years ago, Indiana has been funneling tax money to push the track toward profitability.

`` The source of that cash: admissions taxes collected at the state's 10 riverboat casinos. And it's a nice piece of change. The 65 cents diverted to the state's horse racing business from each riverboat gambler amounted to $26.8 million last year. For eight years, Hoosier Park has been the sole beneficiary of this taxpayer largesse.

``…No longer. Now there's a second kid living in the garage who needs help.

``Hoosier Park soon will have to share the riverboat take with Indiana Downs, a competing track slated to open next month near Shelbyville.

``Last year, a total 161,531 people walked through the turnstiles at Hoosier Park.

``…Indiana government seems to approach horse racing with a lot more enthusiasm than the general public does.

``But the policy is in place for the foreseeable future, if not forever…"

< Gaming News