Horse Racing Industry Measure Headed to Governor

The Senate today (Feb. 10) gave final approval to a bill that makes substantial regulatory changes necessary to protect and bolster Pennsylvania’s horse racing industry, according to Senator Elder Vogel.

House Bill 941 which includes an amendment by Senator Vogel that will shift essential funds into the State Racing Fund and protect the horse racing industry in Pennsylvania, now goes to the Governor for his signature and enactment into law.

Once enacted, the bill would provide a surplus of more than $27 million for the State Racing Fund by 2019-20, Senator Vogel said.

“There has been a tremendous amount of interest and input from a number of parties involved in the racing industry and from the race horse development business. It had been a long and involved process as we worked to fine tune this proposal,” Senator Vogel said. “The bottom line is that we face the real possibility of losing a multimillion dollar industry. It was imperative that we take care of the Racing Fund’s current financial instability, but provide for the long-term protection of the racing industry in Pennsylvania.”