Rockingham Park, the home of thoroughbred and harness racing in the state of New Hampshire for the past 104 years, will not host a live horse racing meeting in 2010, the Salem landmark announced today
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The New Hampshire legislature passed legislation in the final minutes of the 2009 session which eliminated funding for the New Hampshire Racing and Charitable Gaming Commission to regulate live racing in New Hampshire for this year. The loss of this funding meant the commission cannot provide regulation and oversight, and therefore cannot allow dates to be issued to Rockingham or any other track in the state.
“We have waited as long as we can for the legislature to correct this, but we cannot wait any longer,” said Edward M. Callahan, president and general manager of Rockingham Park. “We must notify the horsemen who come from all over the country so they can make other plans. Attempts have been made to restore the funding to the commission, but those attempts have been unsuccessful. In addition to the taxes that are paid, over the past few years the state has eliminated various funds from racing and has increased fees which would cost Rockingham almost $500,000 per year in order to hold live racing.”
Rockingham Park generated over $2.5 million per year directly to the state of New Hampshire in the form of fees and taxes from racing, food sales, charitable gaming, and lottery sales. In testimony in front of the House Ways and Means Committee, live horse racing was shown to generate an economic impact of almost $12 million per year in New Hampshire, with Rockingham’s racing and simulcasting impact combined to be over $30 million per year.
Since 1933 when wagering on horse races was legalized, Rockingham has contributed over $300 million to the state of New Hampshire.
“The legislature in its efforts to close a budget hole of over $140 million does not feel the funding of the Racing and Charitable Gaming Commission for live racing is beneficial,” Callahan said.
With no live racing in 2010, it is estimated that over 100 jobs will be lost and that the state will lose over 870 horsemen who had been licensed at Rockingham over the past year.
Current operations which include charitable gaming, charitable bingo, full card thoroughbred, harness, and greyhound simulcasting, and various shows and exhibitions will continue to provide employment for the racetrack’s remaining employees.
Rockingham will continue to pursue the ability to offer the product it has offered since the track first offered live horse racing in 1906, and the racetrack hopes that racing may be able to return in the future. Rockingham will seek legislative approval for the installation of slot machines in order to generate additional revenue to the state of New Hampshire, create jobs, increase tourism, increase purses, and improve the quality of the live racing product.
The last year that live racing was not conducted at Rockingham Park was 1983 after the grandstand burned to the ground during a devastating fire that shuttered the track. The owners of the facility at that time did not feel racing could be conducted profitably and decided to sell the property to the current owners, Rockingham Venture, Inc. Rockingham Venture Inc. rebuilt the track and re-opened on May 24, 1984 to a crowd of over 12,000 fans.
(Rockingham)