By Howard Fischer | Capitol Media Services via Arizona Capitol Times
The owners of the state’s largest race track are weighing whether to sue to block a new law about who is entitled to get televised signals for out-of-state races.
Vince Francia, general manager of Turf Paradise, tells Capitol Media Services the law signed last week by Gov. Doug Ducey endangers its ability to continue to get signals from several tracks. That’s because the company that provide the signals, Monarch Content Management, has said it will withdraw from the Arizona market if it must comply with a new state law requiring it to also share those signals with all the off-track betting sites operated by Arizona Downs.
Francia said such a move would have a major impact on Turf’s revenues, with 44 percent of its revenues coming from those who wager on the races provided to Turf by Monarch and from revenues from other Monarch sites where people bet on live races from Turf. That translates out to close to $4 million a year.
“It’s something we would not be able to survive,” he said.
But Ann McGovern, general manager of the newly opened Arizona Downs in Prescott Valley said all she wants is fairness.
