The Virginia House of Representatives has passed a bill that would allow the use of slot-machine-like betting machines at the Colonial Downs Horse Track.
After the House Appropriations Committee approved House Bill 1609 on Friday by a 21-1 vote, the bill then went to the House of Delegates for a full vote and on Tuesday was passed overwhelming by a 79-21 majority vote. If approved by the State Senate next week, Bill 1609 would allow the use of “historical” racing machines and off-track wagering in facilities either owned by race tracks or the Virginia Equine Alliance. Voting on the bill has come as a Chicago company, Revolutionary Racing, has indicated that it would reopen the Colonial Downs Horse Race Track should the use of gaming terminals be legally permitted at the facility. The “historical” gaming machines are much like slot machines in that they use previous race results to produce the winning numbers of upcoming races and allow players to place bets quickly and easily.
As the Bill moves forward, its proponents are insistent that the betting machines would be responsible for 80 percent of revenue generated at the Colonial Downs track and outside betting facilities. Bill 1609’s supporters and Revolutionary Racing also claim that by the year 2022, allowing the use of the machines at Colonial Downs could potentially bring in $40 million in state and local tax revenue while creating more than 1,400 jobs in the local area.
Revolutionary Racing has not yet bought or officially committed to buying the currently defunct Colonial Downs racetrack facility some 30 miles east of Richmond, however, it has given every indication that, should the bill become law, buying and reopening the track is a certainty. Now as the bill goes to the State Senate, many are optimistic that the Democratic Sweep in last November’s state elections and the nearly 80 percent “in favor of” House vote will translate into the law’s passing and the reemergence of Colonial Downs as well as a stimulated local thoroughbred industry and economy.
