Sec. 1. 8 MRSA §275-C, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 1997, c. 390, §1, is amended to read:

1. Authority. A person authorized to sell pari-mutuel pools on horse racing may sell common pari-mutuel pools for simulcast races. The sale must be conducted within the enclosure of the licensee's racetrack or at the licensee's off-track betting facility. Notwithstanding this subsection, a racetrack located within the market area of an off-track betting facility, as defined in section 275-D, subsection 4, may accept wagers on simulcast races only if the racetrack was authorized to and in fact did accept such wagers prior to January 1, 2000 and only during its regular meeting.

SUMMARY

This bill provides that a racetrack may accept wagers on simulcast races only if it has been authorized to and has accepted such wagers in the past or if it is located outside the market areas of existing businesses established to accept such wagers.