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Commission hears revenue declines, fund‑balance projection; Emerald Downs announces minor safety rule tweak
Summary
Executive Secretary Amanda Benton reported lower pari‑mutuel and ADW handle in recent months and a projected fund balance decline; Emerald Downs described event plans and a minor house‑rule tweak limiting how often a horse may run to protect equine safety.
At its June meeting the Washington Horse Racing Commission heard financial reports showing year‑over‑year declines in wagering and a projected decrease in the commission's fund balance, and received industry updates from Emerald Downs and horsemen representatives.
Executive Secretary Amanda Benton summarized pari‑mutuel and advanced deposit wagering (ADW) distributions: April pari‑mutuel handle totaled $2,626,877.10, a 22.2% decrease from the prior year; March ADW handle was $7,643,140.12 (down 7% year‑over‑year), while April ADW handle was $7,971,538.22 (up 2.4% vs prior year). Benton said the change in pari‑mutuel tax (from 1.803% to 1.3%) affected operating receipts and that the source market fee increase (from 6% to 10%) affected ADW distributions. She reported an operating fund balance of $585,272 at the end of April and projected a fund balance of $363,854 by June 2027.
An Emerald Downs representative described a busy event schedule (including the Bucksview Gold Cup Indian Relay Racing and upcoming stakes races) and a minor change to a house rule limiting horse workload: "a horse cannot run more than 3 times in 31 days, and no more than 2 weekends in a row," the representative said, explaining the tweak was developed with HEPA input to protect horses given the track's particular geometry.
A horsemen representative noted a safety request to avoid scheduling 4.5‑furlong races for 2‑year‑olds at this meet because of the short run to the turn; he also announced a horsemen general meeting on June 19 at noon in the Emerald Room.
Commissioners asked clarifying questions about revenue timing and source market fee receipts; staff said one source market fee payment expected in April was recorded in May, affecting April reported results. Staff will continue monitoring revenues and report back as estimates and receipts develop.
