Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino says operation has generated hundreds of millions in tax revenue and supports seasonal jobs
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Summary
A Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino representative told the committee the facility has generated more than $500 million in taxes to date, channels a share of revenue to horsemen’s purses and is a leading local employer with summer seasonal expansion.
Ahmed Magni, representing Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino, told the Transportation Infrastructure Revenue Subcommittee that the facility — opened as a race track in 1959 and expanded after casino gaming — has generated more than a half‑billion dollars in tax revenue to date and remains an important employer and tourism draw for the border region.
Magni told members that approximately 26% of the casino’s revenues go to taxes that flow to the New Mexico general fund and that about 20% of revenue is deposited to a horsemen’s account used for purses and to support racing quality. He said the operation employs roughly 200 full‑time workers year‑round and expands to about 300 employees during live racing season.
Magni also described racing operations — thoroughbreds and quarter horses — year‑round simulcast wagering and electronic table games, and noted the facility’s role in regional tourism and binational customers coming from El Paso and Mexico. Members asked about impacts from flooding at Ruidoso Downs and whether races would shift; Magni said races sometimes relocate when tracks are affected but that he could not confirm specific schedule changes that morning.
Ending: The racetrack representative thanked the committee for the invitation and said the facility looks forward to working with state lawmakers on regional economic contributions.