Poll - Arizona's ADW Law

[Jeff P]

I'm asking for feedback... not just from HANA members, but from everyone here at PA. It doesn't matter if you are a professional horseplayer, recreational player, occasional fan, owner, breeder, trainer, groom, track operator, track employee, ADW operator, ADW employee, tote company employee, NTRA Committee Member, past performance data company operator or employee, software developer, editor for a turf publication, turf writer, author, TV producer, on air talent, etc. HOW you are connected to the industry isn't the point. If you are reading this thread at PA you are connected to the industry in some way shape or form. I'm asking you for an honest opinion if you have one.

[singletax]

What is ADW?

[BillW]

What is ADW?

Advanced Deposit Wagering Company such as Youbet, Xpressbet, TVG etc.

[ALostTexan]

I strongly agree that it needs to be overturned but there is no chance in hell that it is going to be, at least no without some other major changes. Anything that can be seen as an "expansion of gambling" will give the Indians the right to cut all of their payments to the state, and until that changes there will be no ADW's in Arizona.

What will be interesting will be if the tracks do find a way to get slot machines. Then there will be a huge expansion of gambling, a new deal with the Indians will have to be worked out, and then perhaps then the law will perhaps be changed to allow me to bet a $2 Exacta a Saratoga and not be considered a felon in the same light as someone trading kiddy porn.

[DeanT]

I strongly agree that it needs to be overturned but there is no chance in hell that it is going to be, at least no without some other major changes. Anything that can be seen as an "expansion of gambling" will give the Indians the right to cut all of their payments to the state, and until that changes there will be no ADW's in Arizona.

What will be interesting will be if the tracks do find a way to get slot machines. Then there will be a huge expansion of gambling, a new deal with the Indians will have to be worked out, and then perhaps then the law will perhaps be changed to allow me to bet a $2 Exacta a Saratoga and not be considered a felon in the same light as someone trading kiddy porn.

Is it an "expansion of gambling" if it was already being done there before they shut it down?

What can they do down there for horseplayers to get around this law?

[Pacingguy]

At first glance, yes the law banning ADWs should be repealed, it is old time thinking. However, they would need to legalize ADWs so racetracks can accept wagers from them at the same time.

No one should be able to accept wagers on a horse race without contributing a portion of their revenue to the racetrack/horsemen. After all, they are the ones that put on the show. My understanding was that the racetracks could not accept wagers through an ADW so the tracks were not getting anything for putting on their shows; in effect the ADWs were bookies. That can't be tolerated.

[ALostTexan]

Is it an "expansion of gambling" if it was already being done there before they shut it down?

True, wagering through ADWs was going on before they outlawed it, but it was not done under the law. There was no law that said you could or couldn't wager through ADWs.

Problem was that it was specifically made legal under the law, so the tracks were not willing to accept source market fees on something that wasn't specifically legal. Knowing that the Indians were going to make it impossible to legalize ADWs, the Turf Paradise and Yavapai decided to just give racing fans the finger and shut it all down, basically with the mentality that "If we can't profit from it (source market fees) then screw the fans and don't let them bet through ADWs".

I do want to say that not everyone at the two mentioned tracks was in favor of the move, and one major proponent of the bill a few years ago has been replaced with someone that hated the bill.

Trust me, I have argued against the outlawing of ADWs in the Arizona until I am blue in the face and have basically just given up. I am sure that I could get an illegal account using an out-of-state address, but for me it isn't worth it. I am a licensed racetrack official in Arizona (very, very, very small-time official) and educating myself for a career in the racing industry so trying to skirt around a Class 6 felony isn't worth it to play the Daily Double at Los Alamitos. At least in Tucson we have an OTB system back in place, albeit a really crappy system, but at least racing fans can legally place a bet on horse racing in Tucson once again.

What can they do down there for horseplayers to get around this law?

There is very little that horseplayers can do to get around this law except hope that they aren't policing the system well. Trust me, I know of people that are still using ADWs in Arizona, and most of them have legal out-of-state addresses are are only using the ADWs while temporarily living in Arizona or while traveling through the state.

This really doesn't matter, though, as the law states that any wager on a horse race must be placed at a racetrack, and it doesn't matter if you are an Arizona resident or not. You might only be passing through the state for a couple of hours and if you place a wager over the phone or internet then you are technically in violation of the law and as per this law you can be treated as a kiddy porn trader and mild rapist.

[chickenhead]

http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/9015/azadwlaw.jpg