Idaho Gov. Vetoes Repeal of Instant Racing

Blood-Horse

Idaho Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter has vetoed legislation that would have made roughly 250 Instant Racing betting machines illegal.

But Otter did put a moratorium on any new Instant Racing machines in the state and asked the legislature to join him in appointing a special investigator to assess the legality of the machines that are currently in use.

“In vetoing this bill, what I’m seeking is an alternative capable of restoring public confidence in horse racing as a legitimate and even ennobling industry that is tied directly and irrevocably to race tracks, to stalls and starting gates, to paddocks and jockeys, and to people who love this sport,” Otter wrote.

The governor sent a letter announcing his decision to veto the bill to the Idaho Senate April 3 but the decision was not made public until Monday afternoon, April 6.

The machines, modeled after the Instant Racing machines popularized at Oaklawn Park but called historical horse racing in Idaho and Kentucky, allow bettors to place wagers on prior horse races with no identifiable information.

Les Bois Park’s historical racing machines went online in June in the Turf Club. More than $27 million has been wagered so far, according to the Idaho Statesman.

Otter wrote that he had hoped lawmakers’ 2013 decision to legalize betting on historical horse racing would act as “a shot in the arm” to the struggling racing industry. The legislators who originally supported installing the betting machines did an about face last year, saying they felt duped.

However, backers of the bill said that the machines are essentially slot machines, which are illegal under Idaho’s constitution.

The Coeur d’Alene Tribe issued a scathing response to the veto and called for a legislative override of it.

“Idahoans asked our governor to defend the Idaho constitution by repealing Instant Racing, and sadly the governor made a clear choice to look the other way,” said tribe chairman Chief Allan. “He turned his back on the legislature and Idahoans in order to protect his friends and financiers.”

The Idaho legislature now may vote on whether to override the veto.