Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Appropriations Committee hears overview of Maryland racing regulation and funding
Summary
Department of Legislative Services and the Maryland Racing Commission briefed the Appropriations Committee on the industry's history, state funding streams from video lottery terminals, and the commission's regulatory role including licensing and drug testing.
Matthew Bennett, policy analyst with the Department of Legislative Services, told the Appropriations Committee that state oversight of horse racing dates to the early 20th century and that the General Assembly has created dedicated funding streams to support purses and facility renewal. "There's 6% of the gross VLT revenue that is dedicated to the purse dedication account," Bennett said, and that account is split 80% for thoroughbreds and 20% for standardbreds.
Christopher Mertz, executive director of the Maryland Racing Commission,…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
