Modifies certain operating requirements for simulcasting facilities; reduces minimum number of required annual thoroughbred races from 50 to 25.

A1532

ASSEMBLY, No. 1532

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman CLINTON CALABRESE

District 36 (Bergen and Passaic)

SYNOPSIS

���� Modifies certain operating requirements for
simulcasting facilities; reduces minimum number of required annual thoroughbred
races from 50 to 25.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.

��

An Act
concerning horse racing in this State and simulcasting
facility operations, and amending P.L.2001, c.199 and P.L.2006, c.19.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� Section 1 of P.L.2006,
c.19 (C.5:5-22.2) is amended to read as follows:

���� 1.��� Notwithstanding the
provisions of any other law to the contrary, the New Jersey Racing Commission,
in effectuating its responsibilities under P.L.1940, c.17 (C.5:5-22 et seq.),
the "Simulcasting Racing Act," P.L.1985, c.269 (C.5:5-110 et seq.),
the "Off-Track and Account Wagering Act," P.L.2001, c.199 (C.5:5-127
et seq.), and the "Casino Simulcasting Act," P.L.1992, c.19
(C.5:12-191 et seq.), and under such circumstances and for such races as the
commission shall deem appropriate, shall:

���� a.��� at the request of a
permitholder, allow a permitholder to offer a future wager consisting of
wagering on prospective entrants for specific races, with wagering conducted in
advance, one or more parimutuel pools formed and closed on dates prior to the
date of the race, and all wagers considered final and no refunds paid even if,
for any reason, an entrant fails to participate in the race;

���� b.��� provide that the minimum
wager amount that may be placed on a horse race may be $0.10 or greater;

���� c.��� provide that, after
[
three years
]

one year

following the date of purchase, unclaimed cash vouchers shall be paid 50% to
the permitholder at the location where purchased and 50% to the purse account
at the location where purchased, provided that if the permitholder conducts
both harness and thoroughbred races the purse amount shall be divided equally
between the harness and thoroughbred purse accounts;

���� d.��� at the request of a
permitholder or the operator of a casino simulcasting facility, allow the
permitholder or the operator of a casino simulcasting facility
, whenever the
permitholder or casino simulcasting facility is open to the public for
wagering,
to accept a wager in advance of a race
or races
at an
in-State or out-of-State sending track under a simulcast agreement without
receiving a simulcast transmission thereof or displaying live video
of all
races from an in-State or out-of-State sending track
thereof
[
when:� (1) the
race is to be conducted between the hours of 11:00 PM and 11:00 AM local New
Jersey time, or at such other times as the commission shall permit due to
extenuating circumstances; or (2) at other times, as the commission shall
permit, when a racetrack, off-track wagering facility, or casino simulcasting
facility is temporarily closed due to the hosting of an event at that facility
that warrants the closure of that facility for a period not to exceed 24 hours,
provided that a simulcast transmission of that race is received and displayed
under a simulcast transmission agreement at any other racetrack, off-track
wagering facility, or casino simulcasting facility in this State
]
; and

���� e.��� allow a permitholder to
pay an amount due a winning ticketholder, notwithstanding that the ticketholder
is unable to produce the actual ticket, if the permitholder is able to verify
independently through electronic or other means approved by the commission that
the ticketholder purchased the ticket.

(cf: P.L.2011, c.48, s.1)

���� 2.��� Section 30 of P.L.2001,
c.199 (C.5:5-156) is amended to read as follows:

���� 30.� a.� The permit holder at
Monmouth Park and the thoroughbred permit holder at Meadowlands Racetrack
together shall schedule annually no fewer than 141 thoroughbred race dates,
except that the thoroughbred permit holder may decrease the annual number of
scheduled thoroughbred race dates to no fewer than
[
50
]

25
thoroughbred race
dates upon written consent from the New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen's
Association.

���� b.��� The standardbred permit
holder at Meadowlands Racetrack shall schedule annually no fewer than 151
standardbred race dates, except that the standardbred permit holder may
decrease the annual number of scheduled standardbred race dates to no fewer
than 75 standardbred race dates upon written consent from the Standardbred
Breeders' and Owners' Association of New Jersey.

���� c.��� The permit holders at
Freehold Raceway shall schedule annually no fewer than 192 standardbred race
dates, except that the permit holders may decrease the annual number of
scheduled race dates to no fewer than 75 standardbred race dates upon written
consent from the Standardbred Breeders' and Owners' Association of New Jersey.

���� d.��� (Deleted by amendment,
P.L.2017, c.172)

(cf: P.L.2017, c.172, s.1)

���� 3.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill removes the
limitations on when a simulcasting facility can accept future wagers on horse
races that the facility will not be receiving a simulcast transmission of, or
displaying.� The facility will be allowed to accept wagers on future races any
time the facility is open to the public.

���� The bill also reduces the
timeframe required for unpaid cash vouchers to lapse from three years to one
year.� The cash value of the lapsed voucher is divided equally between the
permitholder at the location where the voucher was purchased and the purse account
at the same location.

���� Finally, the bill reduces the
number of thoroughbred races required to be held annually at the Meadowlands
Racetrack and Monmouth Park from 50 to 25, with the written consent of the New
Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association.