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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Sixth Legislature, Second Regular Session
dog racing; simulcast wagering; prohibition
Purpose
Prohibits simulcast dog racing in Arizona beginning January 1, 2029.
Background
The Arizona Department of Gaming (ADG) Division of Racing, with direction
from the Arizona Racing Commission, regulates and supervises all commercial
horse racing meetings, authorized pari-mutuel wagering and simulcasting of dog races
that occur outside the state.
Laws 2016,
Chapter 246 prohibited live dog racing in Arizona beginning January 1, 2017.
The practice of allowing patrons at a racetrack enclosure or its licensed off-track
facilities to watch and wager on races being conducted at other tracks is
referred to as simulcasting. The ADG may allow a commercial dog racing
permittee to electronically televise simulcast dog races and allows wagering on
simulcast races, subject to prescribed requirements. Except as otherwise
provided, any person within a racetrack enclosure or off-track facility may
wager on the results of a race that is simulcast to the facility by
contributing to a pari-mutuel pool.
Simulcasting may only be authorized for the same type of racing authorized by a permittee's live racing permit. However, any dog racing permittee that offered live dog racing in 2016 or that has offered live dog racing in 8 out of 10 calendar years from 1980 to 1990 in a county with a population of fewer than 500,000 persons is considered as operating a racetrack enclosure for all statutory purposes and is not authorized or required to conduct live racing as a condition of that permittee's racing permit (A.R.S. Title 5, Chapter 1).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Prohibits, effective January 1, 2029, simulcast dog racing in Arizona beginning January 1, 2029.
2. Authorizes the Arizona Racing Commission, until December 31, 2028, to approve, grant or issue a new commercial dog racing permittee the right to simulcast dog races in Arizona and prohibits approving or granting any expansion of existing simulcast dog races in Arizona.
3. Prohibits, beginning December 31, 2028, the Arizona Racing Commission from approving or granting a commercial dog racing permittee the right to simulcast dog races in Arizona.
4. Makes technical and conforming changes, effective January 1, 2029.
5. Becomes effective on the general effective date, with a delayed effective date as noted.
Prepared by Senate Research
February 1, 2024
MG/cs