BILL REQ. #:  H-1359.1 

Read first time 02/10/2003.   Referred to Committee on Commerce & Labor.

     AN ACT Relating to simulcast horse racing; and amending RCW 67.16.010 and 67.16.200.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1   RCW 67.16.010 and 1991 c 270 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     ((Unless the context otherwise requires, words and phrases as used herein shall mean:)) The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
     (1) "Commission" ((shall)) means the Washington horse racing commission((, hereinafter created)).
     (2) "Driving miles" means miles measured by the most direct route as determined by the commission.
     (3) "Parimutuel machine" ((shall)) means and includes both machines at the track and machines at the satellite locations, that record parimutuel bets and compute the payoff.
     (4) "Person" ((shall)) means and includes individuals, firms, corporations and associations.
     (5) "Race meet" ((shall)) means and includes any exhibition of thoroughbred, quarter horse, paint horse, appaloosa horse racing, arabian horse racing, or standard bred harness horse racing, where the parimutuel system is used.
     (6) "Satellite extension" means a satellite facility where a class 1 racing association conducts parimutuel wagering on its live race card and imported simulcast races.
     Singular shall include the plural, and the plural shall include the singular; and words importing one gender shall be regarded as including all other genders.

Sec. 2   RCW 67.16.200 and 2001 1st sp.s. c 10 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) A racing association licensed by the commission to conduct a race meet may seek approval from the commission to conduct parimutuel wagering on its program at a satellite location or locations within the state of Washington. The sale of parimutuel pools at satellite locations shall be conducted only during the licensee's race meet and simultaneous to all parimutuel wagering activity conducted at the licensee's live racing facility in the state of Washington. The commission's authority to approve satellite wagering at a particular location is subject to the following limitations:
     (a) The commission may approve only one satellite location in each county in the state; however, the commission may grant approval for more than one licensee to conduct wagering at each satellite location. A satellite location shall not be operated:
     (i) Within twenty driving miles of any class 1 racing facility((. For the purposes of this section, "driving miles" means miles measured by the most direct route as determined by the commission)); and
     (ii) Within five miles of any class 1 racing facility located east of the crest of the Cascade mountains; and
     (b) A licensee shall not conduct satellite wagering at any satellite location within sixty driving miles of any other racing facility conducting a live race meet.
     (2) Subject to local zoning and other land use ordinances, the commission shall be the sole judge of whether approval to conduct wagering at a satellite location shall be granted.
     (3) The licensee shall combine the parimutuel pools of the satellite location with those of the racing facility for the purpose of determining odds and computing payoffs. The amount wagered at the satellite location shall be combined with the amount wagered at the racing facility for the application of take out formulas and distribution as provided in RCW 67.16.102, 67.16.105, 67.16.170, and 67.16.175. A satellite extension of the licensee's racing facility shall be subject to the same application of the rules of racing as the licensee's racing facility.
     (4) Upon written application to the commission, a class 1 racing association may be authorized to transmit simulcasts of live horse races conducted at its racetrack to locations outside of the state of Washington approved by the commission and in accordance with the interstate horse racing act of 1978 (15 U.S.C. Sec. 3001 to 3007) or any other applicable laws. The commission may permit parimutuel pools on the simulcast races to be combined in a common pool. A racing association that transmits simulcasts of its races to locations outside this state shall pay at least fifty percent of the fee that it receives for sale of the simulcast signal to the horsemen's purse account for its live races after first deducting the actual cost of sending the signal out of state.
     (5) Upon written application to the commission, a class 1 racing association may be authorized to transmit simulcasts of live horse races conducted at its racetrack to licensed racing associations located within the state of Washington and approved by the commission for the receipt of the simulcasts. The commission shall permit parimutuel pools on the simulcast races to be combined in a common pool. The fee for in-state, track-to-track simulcasts shall be five and one-half percent of the gross parimutuel receipts generated at the receiving location and payable to the sending racing association. A racing association that transmits simulcasts of its races to other licensed racing associations shall pay at least fifty percent of the fee that it receives for the simulcast signal to the horsemen's purse account for its live race meet after first deducting the actual cost of sending the simulcast signal. A racing association that receives races simulcast from class 1 racing associations within the state shall pay at least fifty percent of its share of the parimutuel receipts to the horsemen's purse account for its live race meet after first deducting the purchase price and the actual direct costs of importing the race.
     (6) A class 1 racing association may be allowed to import simulcasts of horse races from out-of-state racing facilities. With the prior approval of the commission, the class 1 racing association may participate in an interstate common pool and may change its commission and breakage rates to achieve a common rate with other participants in the common pool.
     (a) The class 1 racing association shall make written application with the commission for permission to import simulcast horse races for the purpose of parimutuel wagering. Subject to the terms of this section, the commission is the sole authority in determining whether to grant approval for an imported simulcast race.
     (b) A licensed racing association may also be approved to import one simulcast race of regional or national interest on each live race day.
     (c) The commission may allow simulcast races of regional or national interest to be sent to satellite locations. The simulcasts shall be limited to one per day except for Breeder's Cup special events day.
     (d) When open for parimutuel wagering, a class 1 racing association which imports simulcast races shall also conduct simulcast parimutuel wagering within its licensed racing enclosure on all races simulcast from other class 1 racing associations within the state of Washington.
     (e) The conduct of parimutuel wagering on imported simulcast races shall be for not more than fourteen hours during any twenty-four hour period, for not more than five days per week and only at the live racing facility of a class 1 racing association.
     (f) On any imported simulcast race, the class 1 racing association shall pay fifty percent of its share of the parimutuel receipts to the horsemen's purse account for its live race meet after first deducting the purchase price of the imported race and the actual costs of importing the race.
     (7) For purposes of this section, a class 1 racing association is defined as a licensee approved by the commission to conduct during each twelve-month period at least forty days of live racing and satellite extensions of the licensee's racing facility east of the crest of the Cascade mountains. If a live race day is canceled due to reasons directly attributable to acts of God, labor disruptions affecting live race days but not directly involving the licensee or its employees, or other circumstances that the commission decides are beyond the control of the class 1 racing association, then the canceled day counts toward the forty-day requirement. The commission may by rule increase the number of live racing days required to maintain class 1 racing association status or make other rules necessary to implement this section.
     (8) This section does not establish a new form of gaming in Washington or allow expanded gaming within the state beyond what has been previously authorized. Simulcast wagering has been allowed in Washington before April 19, 1997. Therefore, this section does not allow gaming of any nature or scope that was prohibited before April 19, 1997. This section is necessary to protect the Washington equine breeding and racing industries, and in particular those sectors of these industries that are dependent upon live horse racing. The purpose of this section is to protect these industries from adverse economic impacts and to promote fan attendance at class 1 racing facilities. Therefore, imported simulcast race card programs shall not be disseminated to any location outside the live racing facility of the class 1 racing association and a class 1 racing association is strictly prohibited from simulcasting imported race card programs to any location outside its live racing facility.
     (9) A licensee conducting simulcasting under this section shall place signs in the licensee's gambling establishment under RCW 9.46.071. The informational signs concerning problem and compulsive gambling must include a toll-free telephone number for problem and compulsive gamblers and be developed under RCW 9.46.071.
     (10) Chapter 10, Laws of 2001 1st sp. sess. does not establish a new form of gaming in Washington or allow expanded gaming within the state beyond what has been previously authorized. Simulcast wagering has been allowed in Washington before August 23, 2001. Therefore, this section does not allow gaming of any nature or scope that was prohibited before August 23, 2001. Chapter 10, Laws of 2001 1st sp. sess. is necessary to protect the Washington equine breeding and racing industries, and in particular those sectors of these industries that are dependent upon live horse racing. The purpose of chapter 10, Laws of 2001 1st sp. sess. is to protect these industries from adverse economic impacts and to promote fan attendance at class 1 racing facilities. Therefore, imported simulcast race card programs shall not be disseminated to any location outside the live racing facility of the class 1 racing association and a class 1 racing association is strictly prohibited from simulcasting imported race card programs to any location outside its live racing facility.
     (11) If a state or federal court makes a finding that the increase in the number of imported simulcast races that may be authorized under chapter 10, Laws of 2001 1st sp. sess. is an expansion of gaming beyond that which is now allowed, chapter 10, Laws of 2001 1st sp. sess. is null and void.
     (12) If any provision of chapter 10, Laws of 2001 1st sp. sess. or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of chapter 10, Laws of 2001 1st sp. sess. or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is also invalid.
     (13) This act does not establish a new form of gaming in Washington or allow expanded gaming within the state beyond what has been previously authorized. Simulcast wagering has been allowed in Washington before April 19, 1997, and satellite wagering has been allowed since 1988. Therefore, this section does not allow gaming of any nature or scope that was prohibited before August 23, 2001. This act is necessary to protect the Washington equine breeding and racing industries in eastern Washington, and in particular those sectors of these industries that are dependent upon live horse racing. The purpose of this act is to protect these industries from adverse economic impacts and to promote attendance at class 1 racing facilities. The more sparse population of eastern Washington poses special challenges to operating a class 1 racing association in eastern Washington. Wagering on simulcasting at satellite extensions increases the purse at the race tracks, allowing class 1 racing associations in eastern Washington to offer owners and breeders who race at tracks in eastern Washington a purse similar to those offered by other racing associations. Therefore, imported simulcast race card programs shall not be disseminated to any location outside the live racing facility of the class 1 racing association except for satellite extensions east of the crest of the Cascade mountains and a class 1 racing association is strictly prohibited from simulcasting imported race card programs to any location outside its live racing facility except for satellite extensions located east of the crest of the Cascade mountains.
     (14) If a state or federal court makes a finding that the increase in the number of imported simulcast races that may be authorized under this act is an expansion of gaming beyond that which is now allowed, this act is null and void.
     (15) If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of this act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is also invalid.