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Slots Uproar at Michigan’s Horse Races

Michigan’s horse racing tracks have been trying to get slots approved at their establishments, to no avail. Supporters of the slots say that without them the tracks will not be able to survive due to competition from the tribal casinos. Those that are for the slots testified before the state House Regulatory Reform Committee on Tuesday.

They wanted the committee to realize how difficult the new laws were for the tracks, and that not only would slots help the tracks, but they would also bring in much needed revenue for the state government. The tracks have tried before to get slots approved, but have always met with failure due to the Detroit and American Indian tribal casinos that are already in the state.

These tribal casinos do not want to see the tracks get the slots because it would obviously reduce the amount of money that the tribal slots would be bringing in. They are also fighting anti-gambling organizations in the state that don’t want to see an expansion of any kind of gambling. These groups are responsible for the 2004 law that says that all expansions of gambling must be voter approved – all except for tribal casinos and those located in Detroit.

With their hands tied, all the tracks can do it continue to appeal to the state to give them some assistance. They say that even though gambling already happens at their tracks, voters don’t want to add slots as it is expanded gambling – but they say in name only since it already exists. It would be expanded in the types of gambling that is offered, but not in the locations.

Back to August 2007 Archive.