PRINTER'S NO. 2617
No. 2130 Session of 1993
INTRODUCED BY ROONEY, PESCI, COY AND WILLIAMS, OCTOBER 6, 1993
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AFFAIRS,
OCTOBER 6, 1993
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 pari-mutuel pool retention percentages,
7 distribution and taxation.
8 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
9 hereby enacts as follows:
10 Section 1. Section 221 of the act of December 17, 1981
11 (P.L.435, No.135), known as the Race Horse Industry Reform Act,
12 amended December 30, 1983 (P.L.400, No.93) and May 16, 1986
13 (P.L.205, No.63), is amended to read:
14 Section 221. Retention percentages for pari-mutuel pools.
15 (a) Every licensed corporation shall distribute the moneys
16 in any pari-mutuel pool to the holders of winning tickets under
17 the following requirements:
18 (1) all tickets shall be presented for payment before
19 the first day of April of the year following the year of
20 their purchase; and
1 (2) [seventeen] eighteen percent of the moneys plus the
2 breakage from regular wagering pools shall be retained by the
3 licensed corporations for further distribution under section
4 222; or
5 (3) nineteen percent of the moneys plus the breakage
6 from regular wagering pools from licensed corporations whose
7 total deposits in all pari-mutuel pools averaged less than
8 $300,000 per racing day for their previous meeting at the
9 same facility; or
10 (4) twenty percent of the moneys plus the breakage from
11 the exacta, daily double, quinella and other wagering pools
12 involving two horses each racing day shall be retained by the
13 licensed corporations for further distribution under section
14 222; or
15 (5) at least 26% but no more than 35% of the moneys plus
16 the breakage from the trifecta or other wagering pools
17 involving more than two horses in one or more races each
18 racing day shall be retained by the licensed corporations for
19 further distribution under section 222; and
20 (6) except as provided for in subsection (d.1) of
21 section 222, every corporation may retain less than [17%]
22 18%, 19% or 20% of the moneys in the wagering pools under
23 paragraphs (2), (3) and (4) or less than 26% of the moneys in
24 the wagering pools under paragraph (5) upon approval from the
25 appropriate commission; and
26 (7) every corporation may retain more than 25% but no
27 more than 35% of the moneys in the wagering pools under
28 paragraph (5) upon approval from the appropriate commission;
29 and
30 (8) all moneys remaining in the wagering pools described
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1 under paragraphs (2), (3), (4), (5), (6) and (7) shall be
2 distributed to the holders of winning tickets.
3 (b) Breakage shall mean the odd cents of redistributions to
4 be made on all contributions to pari-mutuel pools exceeding a
5 sum equal to the next lowest multiple of ten.
6 (c) The commissions shall establish by rule or regulation
7 provisions for minus-pools relating to the retention
8 requirements under this section.
9 (d) From the moneys retained by the corporations licensed to
10 conduct thoroughbred horse race meetings following distribution
11 as prescribed in subsection (a)(2), (3), (4), (5), (6) and (7),
12 beginning January 1, 1984, an amount equivalent to 0.33% of the
13 amount wagered each racing day at each corporation conducting a
14 licensed thoroughbred horse race meeting is to be used by that
15 corporation, in combination with the moneys assigned it under
16 section 223(c) and (d), for purses for races restricting or
17 preferring entry to registered Pennsylvania-bred thoroughbred
18 horses as described therein. This equivalent amount is to be
19 considered part of any distribution agreement between individual
20 corporations licensed to conduct thoroughbred horse race
21 meetings and horsemen racing at said meetings of those moneys
22 described in section 222(c).
23 Section 2. Section 222(b)(5)(i) of the act, amended December
24 30, 1983 (P.L.400, No.93), is amended to read:
25 Section 222. Distribution of moneys retained from pari-mutuel
26 pools; taxation.
27 * * *
28 (b) The commissions shall distribute moneys from the State
29 Racing Fund, together with the interest earned thereon, in the
30 following manner:
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1 * * *
2 (5) From remaining moneys in the State Racing Fund:
3 (i) An amount equivalent to seven-tenths of one
4 percent of the amount wagered each racing day at
5 thoroughbred horse race meetings shall be paid by the
6 State Horse Racing Commission from the State Racing Fund
7 through the Department of Revenue for credit to the
8 Pennsylvania Breeding Fund, beginning on July 1, 1983. An
9 amount equivalent to one percent of the amount wagered
10 each racing day at thoroughbred horse race meetings shall
11 be paid by the State Horse Racing Commission from the
12 State Racing Fund through the Department of Revenue to
13 each municipality which hosts an off-track wagering
14 facility.
15 * * *
16 Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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