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Reappointee Matthew Woodington says online gaming has hurt horse racing industry
Summary
Matthew Woodington, reappointed to the Idaho State Racing Commission, described his lifelong ties to racing and told the Senate committee that online gaming and expanded gambling options have reduced revenue for racetracks.
Matthew Woodington, whose reappointment to the Idaho State Racing Commission was recorded in the Jan. 20 committee minutes, described growing up in Nampa working around thoroughbreds and said the racing industry is under strain from alternative gambling revenue streams.
Woodington told the Senate State Affairs Committee that his family raised thoroughbred racehorses, he worked summers at Les Bois Park and later pursued veterinary training. He has served the past three years as an Idaho State Racing Commissioner and said tracks nationwide face difficulty as online gaming and other gambling options draw revenue away, noting some jurisdictions have shifted toward other forms of gaming to support racing.
The committee minutes record his reappointment and Woodington’s summary of the industry’s challenges. No committee vote tally for this reappointment is recorded in the Jan. 20 minutes beyond the item’s entry in the docket of business.
