Sec. 1. 8 MRSA §275-A, sub-§1, ¶¶A and B, as repealed and replaced by PL 1999, c. 482, §2 and affected by §10, are amended to read:

A. If the population of the region is 300,000 or more, based on the 1990 U.S. Census, conducted racing on more than 100 days in each of the previous 2 calendar years, except that, if a racetrack that qualified as a commercial racetrack under this paragraph goes out of business, one new racetrack opening in a location with a population of 300,000 or more within the region of the racetrack qualifies as a commercial track if it races more than 100 days in a calendar year; or

B. If the population of the region is less than 300,000, based on the 1990 U.S. Census, conducted racing on more than 25 days in each of the previous 2 calendar years, except that, if a racetrack that qualified as a commercial racetrack under this paragraph goes out of business, one new racetrack opening in a location with a population of 300,000 or less within the region of the racetrack qualifies as a commercial track if it races more than 25 days in a calendar year.

Sec. 2. 8 MRSA §292, as enacted by PL 1997, c. 528, §46, is amended to read:

§292. Horsemen's purse share

Amounts calculated as horsemen's purse share under section 286 must be retained by the licensee to supplement purse money at the track where the wager was placed, except that, for wagers placed at a racetrack in the State on a simulcast race conducted at another racetrack in the State, 1.512% of the regular wagers and 4.305% of the exotic wagers must be sent to the track in the State where the harness race was conducted.

SUMMARY

This bill allows a new commercial harness horse racing track to open and participate in the various funds in the event an existing track goes out of business. The bill also provides for payment to a racetrack in the State that provided a simulcast signal to other racetracks in the State for the purpose of supplementing the purses at the originating racetrack.