Kentucky casino gambling legislation is edging closer with another politician stating that Governor Steve Beshear is continuing to push for a renewed bill next year. The Kentucky Courier-Journal reports that Agriculture Commissioner James Comer stated that Beshear is expecting a bill to be filed next year so as to support the state’s Horseracing industry – something that is close to his heart. He told the Courier-Journal: “He’s called me at home several times and I’ve given him my opinion. The governor’s going to have to propose the legislation and if it’s what we think is best for the horse industry and the horse breeders, then we will support it if he wants us to.” Kentucky remains one of the only states without casino gambling and they’re finally making progress on something that has taken the best part of two decades.
Maryland’s casinos will be able to stay open all hours later this month thanks to one of the changes included in Question 7. A state official told the Washington Post that from Dec. 27 venues in the state can open for 24 hours a day and won’t have to close at 4 a.m. as they do under current rules. Maryland Live! has taken full advantage of the amendment with the state’s other casinos choosing to stay open 24 hours at the weekend and wait until table games arrive until they open all hours throughout the week.
An Iowa casino official has blamed dog racing for costing the state’s casino industry millions of dollars. Bo Guidry, senior vice president and general manager for Horseshoe and Harrah’s Council Bluffs, told South West Iowa news: “We’re losing $9 million a year. We want to get rid of the dogs.” He is happy to allow advance deposit wagering (ADW) to continue as “it doesn’t lose money” and Guidry has continually battled with the state over the past few years to pay to not have dog racing at the track. The Iowa Legislature is still resistant to allowing this and Mark Brandenburg, a local lawmaker, said “there are two sides to the story” and much of the concerns relate to job losses that would result.
