12:19 pm Jan. 9, 20123
Resorts World New York has proposed building a $4 billion convention center on land it leases from New York State at the Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens. It has also discussed eliminating the racetrack element of the Aqueduct altogether.
As part of the ongoing discussions within the Malaysian gambling giant Genting, of which Resorts World is a subsidiary, there is talk of seeking to relocate the horse-racing that now takes place at Aqueduct Racetrack to Belmont, according to someone who has been briefed by Genting.
Relocating the racetrack (which, in itself, is an idea that predates the arrival of Genting in New York) would give Genting substantially more room on which to build its proposed $4 billion, 3.8-million-square-foot convention center, as well as up to 3,000 hotel rooms. It would also serve as a way to make up for whatever casino gambling revenue Belmont loses if Genting succeeds in getting casino-gambling exclusivity in the metropolitan region, as the company is reportedly seeking, and which a gambling-industry source told me is the case.
So what began as a proposed "racino" (racetrack plus slot-machine casino) would end up being a full-blown casino.
Right now, proper casino gambling, with human dealers, is illegal in New York State outside of Indian reservations. However, electronic gambling, in the form of video slot machines and the like, is permitted in select locations. Resorts World recently opened a massive warehouse filled with video slot machines adjacent to the Aqueduct Racetrack. But the company has also been lobbying aggressively, and with some success, to get regular casino gambling legalized in New York State.
Governor Andrew Cuomo proposed the legalization of casino gambling in his recent state of the state address, and both leaders of the state legislature have indicated support for some form of legalized gambling. The legalization process, however, is a long haul, entailing a constitutional amendment, which, in turn, requires the approval of two succcessive state legislatures and a statewide referendum.
Genting spokesman Stefan Friedman said, in a statement, "We are continuing to work out the final details of our arrangement with the state and Port Authority, and are very much looking forward to bringing this much-needed, state of the art convention center—along with tens of thousands of new jobs, and untold billions in tax revenue—to New York."
Josh Vlasto, a spokesman for the governor, declined to comment, as did the New York Racing Association, which runs both the Aqueduct and Belmont racetracks.
This is not a complete surprise since this actually had been proposed LONG before Genting ever got involved, let alone the convention center being in play.
If that did happen, what I would like to see happen is a provision that NYRA would be allowed to build a new facility in Nassau County that would be a dual thoroughbred-harness facility that I would (provided the rights to the name be secured were that to be necessary) take the old Roosevelt Raceway name from and be allowed to include slots that would be dedicated to Harness Racing only (while revenue from the Aqueduct facility would fund the thoroughbred purses).
As I would have it, the track would be seven-eighths of a mile in circumference and extremely wide with turns closer to a 15/16ths of a mile track, with a backstretch chute to allow thoroughbred races at seven furlongs around one turn and up to 1 3/4 Miles around three turns and harness races of up to 1 5/8 Miles around three turns and a front-stretch chute to allow for half-mile straightaway events and 1 3/8 Miles races around two turns and Harness races of up to 1 1/4 Miles around two turns (with most harness races at what I would make the new standard distances of 1 1/8 Miles) with the track wide enough for harness races going 1 1/8 Miles to be able to have 14 starters across and the same for thoroughbred races.
Thoroughbred Racing would be held from the day after Christmas through late April (with the Belmont fall meet extended to the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend and a break from there through Christmas Day before thoroughbred racing would resume at the new facility), while there would be two Harness meets in what hopefully would become a two-state circuit with The Meadowlands: One taking place from about a week after the thoroughbred season ends through the evening following the Belmont Stakes program (with the Meadowlands getting a break after their winter-spring meet and before their championship meet in the late spring and summer) and then from mid-August through mid-December, with about 10 days after that to get the track converted from Harness to Thoroughbred Racing. Yonkers would basically do its own meet separate from this because many of the horses that race there can't really race on the bigger tracks and need the half-milers to run their best.
I AM A VERY BIG FAN OF THE IDEA OF REDEVELOPING BELMONT PARK AND CLOSING THE TRACK AT AQUEDUCT. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THE MAJORITY OF NEW YORKERS
SUPPORT GOVERNOR CUOMO PLAN TO LEGALIZE FULL CASINO GAMBLING, CONVENTION CENTER AND HOTEL, AS WELL AS HOPFULLY A KIDS CAMP WHERE UNDER 18 COULD GO, BE SAFE AND ENJOY, WHILE THE PARENT PARTAKE IN THE ADULT OFFERINGS AT AQUEDUCT. WE HAVE A GOVERNOR THAT HAS THE WILL AND VISION THAT 50 - 60 YEARS AGO MADE THIS
ONCE A GREAT STATE. THE PAST 40 YEARS THE STATE LEADERS AND LOCAL CIVIC GROUPS HAVE BEEN SPENTING ALL THERE TIME AND EFFORT, RULING ON WHAT WE SHOULD NOT DO
IN NEW YORK. WELL THANK YOU GOVERNOR CUOMO, FINALLY A REAL LEADER, SOMEONE WHO HAS A VISION AND HAS MADE IT HIS JOB TO STRIVE FOR WHAT WE SHOULD DO TO
MAKE NEW YORK PROSPER ONCE AGAIN. THIS WAS A GREAT STATE AT ONE TIME, NOW WE HAVE A LEADER, ONE WHO APPEARS TO BE A GREAT LEADER, LETS SUPPORT HIM AT
AQUEDUCT AND AT ALL STATE PROJECTS THAT BUILD SOMETHING AND CREATS JOBS!
If New York introduces slot playing to their state Las Vegas style, without the halter, then New York will generate more jobs, tourism, and tax revenue from legalizing slot machines than Delaware, because slot players shop. The state of New York by simply taking the revenue that is generated by slot players but diverted to horse racing in Delaware and returning that slot revenue to New York's slot players in the form of food comps, cash rebates, a higher % return on New York's slot machines, better pay tables and conveniently located emporiums built for slot players, will harvest a significant number of Delaware�s and surrounding states� slot players.
Is the gamble on New York's future in producing an attractive product for horseplayers or for slot players? Ask Las Vegas or ask Magna Corp., which has reneged on expenditures on backstretch improvements at Laurel Park, Pimlico Race Course, and Bowie Training Center until they know whether or not Magna Corp. will get slot machine revenue.
http://www.clockerbob.com/chapter8.html