It has been reported that officials with the Thoroughbred raceway Delaware Park have decided to cut purses for the first time since slot machine gaming was introduced in 1995.

An article by philly.com states that effective this Saturday (August 9), purses will be reduced roughly 15 per cent ($5,000 to $6,000 per race).

The report has quoted Bessie Gruwell, an executive director of the Delaware Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, as saying that the cuts will allow the track to finish its current race meet.

"We shaved 19 days off our schedule to keep the purses at a higher level, but since then, the level has dropped again,” said Gruwell. “So you either have to lose more days or you have to adjust your purse schedule.”

(With files from philly.com)