After a fight about the issue during the 2025 legislative session, a Florida House Republican on Dec. 23 filed a proposal that would eliminate a requirement that Florida’s two remaining thoroughbred horse tracks hold races to be able to offer other types of gambling.
State Rep. Adam Anderson, R-Palm Harbor, filed the proposal (HB 881) for the 2026 session, which will start Jan. 13.
In a concept known as “decoupling,” the bill would erase a requirement that Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs hold live races to be able to operate cardrooms and, in the case of Gulfstream, slot machines.
The bill would allow the tracks to notify the Florida Gaming Control Commission on or after July 1, 2027, that they do not intend to continue running races. They could end the races three years after giving notice.
A version of the bill during the 2025 session drew fierce opposition from the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association (FTBOA) and other critics who said it posed a threat to areas such as Marion County, which is a major player nationally in horse breeding.
The bill would lead to thoroughbred tracks being treated similarly to former greyhound and harness-racing tracks that do not hold races but have been able to continue other forms of gambling.
Earlier this month, the FTBOA announced it is teaming with attorney John Morgan of Morgan & Morgan and former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine to explore establishing a horse racing facility/entertainment complex in Marion County.
“The (Marion County) project does not preclude South Florida racing, but regulatory realities are stark: South Florida permits are address-specific, and both Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs have signaled intent to exit live racing,” the FTBOA wrote in an article about the proposal.
Ocala Star-Banner Editor Jim Ross contributed
Source link
