By T. D. Thornton
Five months after New Hampshire gambling regulators and the state's attorney general disclosed that they were investigating the TwinSpires advance deposit wagering (ADW) platform over concerns that the Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI)-owned entity has operated for years without being explicitly licensed there, TwinSpires is ceasing operations in the Granite State.
Back in April, Charlie McIntyre, the executive director of the New Hampshire Lottery, which regulates all forms of gambling in the state, told WMUR-TV that “They're not regulated by us, nor do they operate on any confines of state law…. It's a concern for us, obviously, because all other gambling in the state happens through us-either we license it, or we regulate it. In this case, neither.”
At that time, McIntyre estimated the amount of lost revenue because of TwinSpires not giving the state a cut of its betting business at “hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
McIntyre continued: “They've been doing it for a number of years, and so it's a significant amount of money.”
TwinSpires customers in New Hampshire began receiving emails Sept. 29 informing them that “TwinSpires has elected to cease operation of its ADW Platform for Horse Racing in the state of New Hampshire.”
The email stated that TwinSpires will take wagers from New Hampshire residents on races conducted through Nov. 5th, the concluding day of the Breeders' Cup championships.
After that, the email stated, “Wagering will be suspended on Nov. 6th, and Players will have until Nov. 21 to withdraw funds from their account.”
A Friday afternoon query to Tonya Abeln, CDI's vice president of corporate communications, did not yield a reply prior to deadline for this story.
Nor could McIntyre be reached Friday afternoon to get the lottery commission's perspective on the TwinSpires pullout.
Back in April, CDI officials told the gaming news site casino.org that TwinSpires was “legal and compliant with the federal Interstate Horse Racing Act.”
A FAQ page provided in CDI's email to New Hampshire customers cited non-specific “regulatory changes in New Hampshire” as the gaming corporation's reason for vacating the state.
“As of right now we do not know what the future holds for TwinSpires as an ADW Platform for Horse Racing in New Hampshire but we are hopeful to serve you again soon,” the FAQ page stated.
In April, McIntyre told WMUR-TV that he had approached CDI about resolving the issue, but that “nothing has happened yet.”
New Hampshire no longer has live pari-mutuel racing of any breed. Thoroughbred racing ceased at Rockingham Park in 2002, and harness racing ceased there in 2009. The state had three greyhound tracks operating at the start of the 21st Century; two of them stopped racing before dog racing was banished in New Hampshire in 2010.
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