By Howard Fischer | Capitol Media Services via Arizona Capitol Times
A federal appeals court won’t block enforcement of a law that requires companies that provide off-track betting signals to sell them to anyone who will buy then.
In a unanimous ruling on Aug. 20, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected arguments by the attorney for Monarch Content Management that the Arizona Legislature had no right to enact the 2019 law. The judges said nothing in the state’s regulation of OTB signals conflicts with federal laws regulating horse racing and wagering.
The judges also rejected claims that the statute interfered with the company’s First Amendment rights and its right to contract.
But it still does not mean that the owners of Arizona Downs in Prescott Valley, who had pushed for the law, are getting the signals they want for its seven OTB sites. Instead, Monarch, faced with the all-or-nothing choice simply chose the latter.
