PRINTER'S NO. 2540
No. 2008 Session of 1999
INTRODUCED BY WILT, BENNINGHOFF, M. COHEN, DeWEESE, FARGO,
PIPPY, ROSS, SEYFERT, SOLOBAY, J. TAYLOR AND YOUNGBLOOD,
OCTOBER 26, 1999
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AFFAIRS,
OCTOBER 26, 1999
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of December 17, 1981 (P.L.435, No.135),
2 entitled "An act providing for the regulation of pari-mutuel
3 thoroughbred horse racing and harness horse racing
4 activities; imposing certain taxes and providing for the
5 disposition of funds from pari-mutuel tickets," further
6 providing for retention percentages for pari-mutuel pools.
7 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
8 hereby enacts as follows:
9 Section 1. Section 221(a) of the act of December 17, 1981
10 (P.L.435, No.135), known as the Race Horse Industry Reform Act,
11 amended May 16, 1986 (P.L.205, No.63), is amended to read:
12 Section 221. Retention percentages for pari-mutuel pools.
13 (a) Every licensed corporation shall distribute the moneys
14 in any pari-mutuel pool to the holders of winning tickets under
15 the following requirements:
16 (1) all tickets shall be presented for payment before
17 the first day of April of the year following the year of
18 their purchase, otherwise the holders of the winning tickets
19 shall be deemed to have forfeited their right to participate
1 in the award or dividend, and after the first of April of the
2 year following the year of their purchase all the moneys
3 represented by such forfeited tickets shall be deposited into
4 the Horsemen's Account of the racetrack that is part of the
5 racetrack enclosure that generated such moneys;
6 (2) seventeen percent of the moneys plus the breakage
7 from regular wagering pools shall be retained by the licensed
8 corporations for further distribution under section 222; or
9 (3) nineteen percent of the moneys plus the breakage
10 from regular wagering pools from licensed corporations whose
11 total deposits in all pari-mutuel pools averaged less than
12 $300,000 per racing day for their previous meeting at the
13 same facility; or
14 (4) twenty percent of the moneys plus the breakage from
15 the exacta, daily double, quinella and other wagering pools
16 involving two horses each racing day shall be retained by the
17 licensed corporations for further distribution under section
18 222; or
19 (5) at least 26% but no more than 35% of the moneys plus
20 the breakage from the trifecta or other wagering pools
21 involving more than two horses in one or more races each
22 racing day shall be retained by the licensed corporations for
23 further distribution under section 222; and
24 (6) except as provided for in subsection (d.1) of
25 section 222, every corporation may retain less than 17%, 19%
26 or 20% of the moneys in the wagering pools under paragraphs
27 (2), (3) and (4) or less than 26% of the moneys in the
28 wagering pools under paragraph (5) upon approval from the
29 appropriate commission; and
30 (7) every corporation may retain more than 25% but no
19990H2008B2540 - 2 -
1 more than 35% of the moneys in the wagering pools under
2 paragraph (5) upon approval from the appropriate commission;
3 and
4 (8) all moneys remaining in the wagering pools described
5 under paragraphs (2), (3), (4), (5), (6) and (7) shall be
6 distributed to the holders of winning tickets.
7 * * *
8 Section 2. All regulations and parts of regulations are
9 hereby abrogated to the extent they are inconsistent with this
10 act.
11 Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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