State-by-State Updates Fall 2000

Alabama
Mobile: Officials at Mobile Greyhound Park installed 50 "redemption machines" to try to halt falling attendance at the track. The gaming devices, which pay offin gift certificates instead of cash, were installed in late July.
Players put pennies, nickels, and quarters in the machines for a chance to win $5 merchandise coupons redeemable at a local grocery chain, Kmart, and a home improvement store. Gambling machines are illegal in Alabama, but a 1996 amendment to the law made an exception for children's games. Under the law, such games may pay out tokens or coupons valued at $5 or less.
But Jefferson County District Judge Eric Fancher ruled in June that similar devices at a bingo hall in Brighton are illegal. Fancher argued that the machines are more akin to slot machines than the devices found at Chuck E.Cheese pizza parlors.
Lt. Gov. Steve Windom, a vocal opponent of gambling, criticized the dog track's move, calling it a "backdoor attempt to force-feed casinos on the people of Alabama."

Sources: The Tuscaloosa News:
The Associated Press
Int'l. Gaming & Wagering Business

Arizona
Tucson: [The following information was compiled from Tucson Greyhound Park injury reports filed with the Arizona Department of Racing (ADOR). The reports were obtained by GNN under a public records request. — Ed. ]
During the ten-week period between March 5 and May 17, two greyhounds died on the Tucson track, 18 greyhounds suffered broken bones while racing, and 11 others received either lacerations, muscle tears, or dropped muscles. On March 14, RD's Rattler died of unknown causes on the finish line. Five days later, another greyhound, whose name was unclear on the injury report, died of a broken neck after hitting the wall on the first turn. Eight of the 18 dogs with broken bones suffered broken hocks.
The largest number of injuries occurred March 15 when at least five dogs collided during the 15th race when the lure "was not where it should have been," according to the report. Two dogs suffered fractured hocks and three suffered lacerations.

Source: ADOR/TGP Injury reports

Colorado
Commerce City: Ten anti-racing protesters held a demonstration June 10 in front of Wembley Park (formerly Mile High Kennel Club), two weeks after the opening of the track's 16-week live racing season. The protest was organized by Nicole Huntley of Rocky Mountain Animal Defense and Lisa Swartz.
Protesters drew attention from passing motorists. Huntley and Swartz, holding sickles and wearing grim reaper costumes, held an 8- foot-long banner reading: "Greyhound Racing Kills." The dramatic costuming drew the attention of passing motorists, several of whom stopped and requested information on greyhound racing.
Track officials called police who asked the protesters move to the other side of the street. Steve Rose, Wembley's general manager, accompanied the officers. According to Huntley, Rose was "visibly upset" by the protester's "grim presence."

Florida
Tampa: State Attorney Harry Lee Coe III, 68, the chief prosecutor for Hillsborough County, was found shot to death July 13 of an apparent suicide, the day after he became the target of a state investigation into his finances. The county medical examiner concluded that Coe shot himself in the left temple with a .38-caliber pistol.
The sequence of events began Monday, July 10, when WFLA-Channel 8 reporter Steve Andrews broadcast a story that Coe had borrowed $12,000 from two employees. The loans led to questions about whether Coe needed the money to support a gambling habit. According to financial disclosure forms filed with the Florida Department of State, Coe was $157,000 in debt despite 1999 earnings of more than $216,000.
The Tampa Tribune and. St. Petersburg Times followed up with front-page stories on July 11 in which Coe said he repaid the loans in June. Coe, a familiar figure at the two dog tracks in the Tampa Bay area, declined to discuss the reasons behind his debt. Coe also said he no longer went to the dog tracks. But two employees and two regular track patrons told the Tribune that Coe was at the Tampa track as recently as a week ago.
Coe, who was running for a third term, met with campaign aides Tuesday night and apparently was in good spirits, even joking about having a campaign poster made showing him next to a greyhound.
Late Wednesday morning, July 12, Coe received a phone call from the governor's office presumably informing him that Gov. Jeb Bush had ordered the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) to begin an inquiry into Coe's financial problems. Shortly afterward, Coe left the office and did not return phone calls seeking comment about Bush's decision.
On Thursday morning, WFLA reporter Andrews went to Coe's apartment and knocked on his door but received no response. Andrews was leaving the complex when he discovered Coe's body slumped against an ivy-covered concrete pillar under a crosstown expressway.
On July 18, Bush appointed a special prosecutor to oversee the case and expanded the probe to cover the circumstances surrounding Coe's death. A Bush spokeswoman said the investigation could be broadened even further.
In the following weeks, FDLE investigators visited both the Tampa and St. Petersburg tracks seeking paperwork detailing Coe's financial transactions. According to Hillary Fellenz, the Tampa track's marketing director, Coe had been a regular track customer for 25 years. "From what I understand, FDLE's request was mostly regarding his check-cashing procedures." The track is gathering documents to comply with FDLE's request, but told the agency to return with a subpoena before it hands over the paperwork, Fellenz said. Sources: St. Petersburg Times: Graham Brink, Sue Carlton The Tampa Tribune: Ace Atkins, Sarah Huntley, Ken Koehn

St. Petersburg: Derby Lane, officially known as the St. Petersburg Kennel Club, ended its six-month live racing season June 30. The handle was up slightly but attendance dipped one percent, according to Stephen Hias, the track's secretary-treasurer. Hias could not provide attendance Figures.
The track's 75th season was marred by several violent incidents earlier in the year, including the murder of a track patron. On April 6, James Shaughnessy, 40, had gone to the track with a friend, Vincent Lane Morgan. Later in the evening the men began arguing about when to leave. Morgan allegedly stabbed Shaughnessy to death with a four-inch pocket knife.
Morgan ran through the parking lot and escaped in an older model Corvette. He was apprehended the following morning by a Pinellas County sheriffs deputy and booked intojail after questioning. Shaughnessy, an air-conditioning mechanic and part-time Little League umpire, is survived by a wife and three children.

Source: The St. Petersburg Times: Bob Putnam, Leanora Minai

Idaho
Boise: Animal activists representing Greyhound Rescue of Idaho (GRI) and Idaho Citizens Against Greyhound Exploitation (CAGE) delivered documents to the state racing commission on Aug. 7, alleging greyhound abuse in racing states that export their dog racing simulcasts into Idaho. The state currently imports dog-racing signals from Iowa, Florida, and Texas. Idaho's simulcast law, passed in 1999, prohibits the importation of greyhound simulcasts into Idaho betting parlors from states where there are active allegations of greyhound abuse.
Racing commissioner Michael Lineberry said that he understood the greyhound activists' concerns about the treatment of the dogs, but added, "There has got to be competent and substantiated proof of evidence," before the state can intervene to interrupt the signal. Lineberry said the documents submitted to the racing commission had been submitted to Gov. Dirk Kempthome, who asked the racing commission to investigate.
Virginia McKean, co-founder of GRI, one of more than a dozen greyhound activists attending the commission meeting, said, "As citizens of the state and as taxpayers, we expect the law to be upheld." In a guest editorial published in The Idaho Statesman, McKean said there is enough current substantial abuse from Texas and Florida to stop the simulcast signals from those states. "It isn't up to us to do it. It was given as a duty to the Idaho Racing Commission. What are they waiting for?" McKean asked.
Live dog racing ended in Idaho in December 1995 after allegations of greyhound atrocities at the Coeur d'Alene track were published in The Spokesman Review. In March 1996 Gov. Phil Batt signed legislation banning live greyhound racing in Idaho; as a compromise, the bill provided a three-year period to phase out simulcasting by July 1, 1999. Early in 1999, however, legislation was passed and signed into law by Kempthome which repealed the simulcast sunset clause of the original bill.
CAGE members Deborah Hope and Kay Lambertson met with Kempthome's chief policy assistant Aug. 31. If the law is not upheld, Hope told GAW that GRI and CAGE will consider legal action against the racing commission and the state of Idaho. Updates on the situation will be posted on CAGE'S website: www.idahocage.org.

Source: The Idaho Statesman: Ken Miller

Kansas
Frontenac: A capacity crowd of 2,500 turned out for the return of live greyhound racing on Friday, Aug. 4 at the long-closed Camptown Greyhound Park located on U.S. 69 just north of Pittsburg, Kansas. A jump castle and a clown were added to enhance the family-friendly atmosphere.
The track has a troubled history that general manager Mike Holton and new marketing director Kent Lepley vow to shake off. Holton said "things will be different this time around," referring to the fact that the track failed six months after it first opened in May 1995 and later filed for bankruptcy protection.
"What we need to do is be aware of the needs of this area," he said. "We can't pattern this track after the 1995 track — nor should we."
The track, which will operate year- round, hopes to lower overhead by limiting the racing schedule to weekends and a Wednesday matinee. More than 450 greyhounds are kenneled at Camptown.

Sources: (Pittsburg) Morning Sun
The Associated Press
The Kansas City Star

Wichita:The Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission recently approved the operation of a drive-through betting window at Wichita Greyhound Park. Coupled with the track's new WinTV live broadcasts of its races on a local cable station, track officials hope to revive interest in the sport. The drive-through window will open at 7:00 a.m.
"It's a dying industry," said Phil Ruffin Jr., the track's chief operating officerand son of owner Phil Ruffin, who also owns casinos in Nevada and the Bahamas. "It's all about customer convenience," said Ruffin Jr. "An early-bird window makes it more accessible for the customer." Since Win TV began June 9, "regulars at the park like to advance wager and then go home and watch the show, " Ruffin Jr. said.

Source: The Kansas City Star: Rick Alm

Massachusetts
Raynham: Midget, a 55-pound greyhound, was killed during a maiden race at Raynham/Taunton Greyhound Park on Saturday, July 1. "We're all still shocked," said Midget's owner Donald Burk.
The 21-month-old female broke out of the number one box with the lead, but as the dogs bunched up approaching the first turn, she got caught in between several greyhounds. She lost her footing, stumbled, and was trampled. Midget suffered a broken neck and died instantly.

Source: The Sunday Enterprise: Jason Crosby

Rhode Island
Lincoln: The Lincoln Town Council is considering a controversial proposal to reduce the 800-foot, no-build buffer zone around Lincoln Park (formerly Lincoln Greyhound Park) to 150 feet. Town Council President Dennis M. Auclair said he proposed the ordinance change to appease the gambling facility's owners, who have filed multi-million dollar lawsuits against the town for several years over the 800-foot buffer zone.
The 800-foot buffer zone ordinance was adopted in 1994 as part ofa state-ordered revamp of the town's zoning laws. The intent of the buffer zone was to prevent the Park's owners from developing the property further by building a hotel, restaurants, stores and meeting facilities. Prior to 1994 the buffer zone was 100 feet.
Opponents of the reduced buffer zone, including Town Councilman Dean L. Lees Jr., who represents the district in which the Park is located, said the proposal would allow the facility to develop into something like Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut.
If Auclair's proposal passes, the gambling facility will drop its suits, said Daniel V. McK.innon, Lincoln Park's attorney. McKinnon said the present buffer zone essentially restricts Lincoln Park owners from developing 153 of their 180 acres. A public hearing on the matter must be held before the town council can vote on the proposed change. Lincoln Park opened in 1947 as a horse track and converted to greyhound racing in 1977. In 1992 the General Assembly allowed the Park to install video slot machines. There are now about 1,700 machines at the Park which pay off not in cash but in slips of paper that must be redeemed at a cashier's desk. Greyhound racing barely survives alongside the video slots.
Lincoln Park is owned by Burrillville Racing Association, a subsidiary of Wembley PLC of Great Britain. Park officials said they need to increase develop- ment of the property to counter increasing competition from Foxwoods, which is less than an hour away in Ledyard, Connecticut.

Source: The Providence Journal-Bulletin: M. Bradford Grabowski

West Virginia
Wheeling: The Wheeling Downs Racetrack & Gaming Center has begun construction on a 34,000-square-foot addition to its gaming center at a cost of $8 million. The expansion is needed to accommodate the growing number of video lottery terminals (VLTs).
Wheeling Downs currently has 1,400 VLTs in operation. The machines account for two-thirds of the track's revenue; dog racing makes up the other third. More machines may be added later this year if the state Lottery Commission determines they are needed for the track to survive.

Source: Charleston Daily Mail: Deanna Wrenn

Wisconsin
Hudson: The Hudson City Council sent a 600-page report to the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) on Aug. 30, detailing potential problems if 55 acres of the St. Croix Meadows greyhound track is allowed to be turned into a mini-reservation for a tribal casino. In a cover letter accompanying the report, Hudson Mayor John Breault wrote: "There is significant uncertainty regarding the application of state and local law to regulate activity at the proposed casino."
Three Chippewa tribes — Red Cliff, Sokaogon and Lac Courte Oreilles — would operate the casino in partnership with gambling entrepreneur Fred Havenick. Havenick owns two greyhound tracks — the St. Croix track and the Naples-Fort Myers track in Florida; his wife owns the Flagler dog track in Miami. The casino would bail out the failing St. Croix trackandprovidegambling revenue for the Chippewas.
DOI rejected the same casino proposal in 1995, which led to state and federal lawsuits. As part of a settlement of a lawsuit brought by the three tribes, DOI agreed to reconsider their application and the Department's earlier decision. DOI Secretary Bruce Babbitt defended his agency's 1995 decision to reject the off-reservation casino, citing strong, official local opposition as the main factor.
If the project is approved on the federal level, it would then need Gov. Tommy Thompson's approval. Thompson has said he would approve an off-reservation casino only if it had local support. In late August, casino opponents in the Hudson school district collected more than 4,000 signatures and delivered them to Thompson.

Sources: (Minneapolis) Star Tribune: Pat Doyle
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Joe Winter