The Sport of Kings experienced a chaotic 48-hour period last week when live horse racing and simulcasting briefly became illegal across the Commonwealth—a situation without precedent in generations.
The turmoil stemmed from the State Legislature’s sprint toward the end of its two-year session, which concluded Tuesday into Wednesday night on July 31 and August 1. Speaker Bob DeLeo found himself in a particularly frustrating position, as he spent the entire night awaiting Senate approval of a Racing Bill that never arrived.
What should have been routine—an uncontroversial annual renewal—turned into an exercise in futility for the Speaker and his staff.
Once the session’s closing bell rang, the racing legislation remained unresolved. This technical lapse rendered horse racing illegal, creating serious jeopardy for Suffolk Downs and Plainridge Race Course, each with significant racing events scheduled that week.
“We were waiting for it to come back from the Senate so we could vote on it,” DeLeo remarked this week. “It never made it back to the House for a final vote so that there would be no disruption in racingÉI have to say, it was very frustrating to be waiting all night for the legislation to come back and it never did. I know that things get lost. I appreciate that, but we’re talking about people’s livelihoods and people who rely on that paycheck. I thought it was important that got done and that’s why we moved so quickly to get it straightened out the next day on the governor’s desk to sign by mid-day.”
By Thursday afternoon, racing operations had resumed. DeLeo credited his team’s overnight efforts for pushing the bill through to passage.
Questions persisted, though, about Senate President Karen Spilka’s decision to deprioritize legislation so vital to DeLeo’s district, especially given the acrimonious end to the session marked by failure to pass education funding and health care measures. Inside observers suggested Spilka may have used racing as leverage in a broader political dispute with DeLeo over his own legislative priorities.
DeLeo downplayed this theory during the week, stating only: “We were just awaiting the documents from the Senate.”
To the State House News Service, Spilka characterized racing as merely one of numerous bills that fell victim to the session’s deadline.
“Just like every single year, we don’t always get to everything,” she told the outlet.
Suffolk Downs COO Chip Tuttle expressed relief at the swift resolution, which preserved the track’s scheduled live racing for Saturday and Sunday.
“We want to thank the House, Senate and Governor for addressing this today and we’re looking forward to two great days of racing this weekend,” he said Thursday evening.
Still, Suffolk, Plainridge, and Raynham endured anxious hours when their operations suddenly lacked legal authorization.
Wednesday morning brought an official letter from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) to Suffolk Downs, Plainridge Park, and Raynham Taunton Greyhound Park. The letter explained that the Commonwealth’s racing and simulcasting legislation had expired at midnight on July 31, with no renewal or replacement in place.
“As of today, there is not statutory authorization for live horse racing or simulcasting in the Commonwealth,” the letter stated. “Please be advised that until further notice from the Gaming Commission, simulcasting in all forms under any license at your facilities is suspended. Further, live racing at Suffolk Downs and Plainridge Park is also suspended until further notice.”
Though the MGC added the matter as an emergency item for its August 2 Springfield meeting, DeLeo had already resolved the issue by that time.
Resolution was what mattered most, DeLeo emphasized this week.
“Suffolk did have a very big live racing weekend coming up, but for meÉwe have a number of people who live and work in my district who quite frankly live paycheck to paycheck and can’t afford even one day without that paycheck,” he explained. “That’s very important and that’s why the very next day we worked to get it passed on signed by the governor.”
The Racing/Simulcast legislation will not sunset again until July 31, 2019.