Massachusetts Gaming Commission hears Plainville Gaming’s application for 2026 racing dates

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission on Nov. 5 heard testimony on Plainville Gaming and Redevelopment LLC’s (PGR) application for a license to conduct racing meetings in calendar year 2026.

Chair Jordan Maynard opened the adjudicatory hearing and said the full commission — Commissioners Eileen O’Brien, Brad Hill, Nikishha Skinner and Paul Broer — would preside. He read statutory and regulatory factors the panel will apply, citing General Law Chapter 128A and 205 CMR provisions as the framework for the commission’s review.

Chief Enforcement Counsel Kathleen Kramer, presenting for the Investigations and Enforcement Bureau, told the commission the Division of Licensing had reviewed PGR’s application for administrative sufficiency and ‘‘made a positive determination’’ and that prior suitability findings for the applicant and designated qualifiers (from the commission’s 2013 licensing record) and vetting of new qualifiers informed the IE’s review.

Speaking for the applicant, Steve Otul, director of racing for Plainville’s racetrack and the applicant’s representative, said PGR submitted a completed application on Sept. 30, including a $125,000 bond certificate, a continuation certificate, a $2,100 license fee and a packet of exhibits. Otul described recent facility investments (paddock renovations and an upcoming infield video/tote display upgrade), operational support from Penn Entertainment and investments in racing officials and technologies.

Otul said the track produced strong on‑track results this season — including a meet‑day world record — and reported ‘‘purses well over 18 million this season.’’ He proposed a 110‑day, 33‑week 2026 schedule that would run roughly mid‑April through late November and said PGR is negotiating a new purse and horsemen contract that currently expires Dec. 31; Otul noted a one‑year extension clause if a new agreement is not completed before the start of the season.

Commissioner Brad Hill asked for more detail on why the track had been notably good this year. Otul credited high‑quality material sources, new grading equipment obtained from a sister property, and an experienced maintenance crew that works throughout the week. He also emphasized veterinarians and judges who screen entries and said the operation has used exclusionary authority where entries raised safety concerns.

Hill then asked about equine deaths this season. Otul said there was ‘‘one very early in the season. It was a heart attack,’’ that the horse was examined via necropsy and that the matter was reviewed with the trainer, veterinarians and judges.

No commissioners moved to accept final action at the public session. Chair Maynard said the public portion was concluding and that the commission would deliberate in private; he said the commission will issue a written decision on or before Nov. 15, 2025 and may request additional testimony or documentary evidence if needed prior to a final determination.

The public record for the hearing includes pre‑marked exhibits listed and admitted at the start of the session. No vote or formal licensing decision was taken during the public proceeding.