Florida Committee Not Only Advances Gulfstream Decoupling Bill, but Gives Tampa an Option to Cease Racing, Too

[Wandering Eyes]

Florida's controversial decoupling legislation took an ominous step forward Wednesday when a House subcommittee not only advanced a bill that would remove the requirement that Gulfstream Park run a minimum number of live Thoroughbred races in order to operate its casino, but also amended the bill to say similar terms would apply to cardroom gaming license-holders, too, meaning Tampa Bay Downs would also have the option to cease racing if the bill got signed into law.

The House Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee reported HB 105 as “favorable” by a 12-4 vote Feb. 5. An identical bill has been filed in the Florida Senate, but it has yet to come up before a committee for a recommendation either way.

The South Florida Sun Sentinel reported that Wednesday's hearing “drew fierce criticism from opponents who argued that it would lead to an end of racing and devastate the state's horse-breeding industry.”

The issue of Gulfstream Park seeking legislation that could potentially allow it to end Thoroughbred racing has been a red-alert threat on the national level since mid-January, when Gulfstream's owner, The Stronach Group (TSG), told Florida industry stakeholders it could guarantee racing at Gulfstream Park only through 2028 if the proposed bill to decouple Thoroughbred horseracing from casino licenses passes the state legislature.

A TSG consultant also told horsemen at a closed-door meeting Jan. 15 that even if the decoupling bill does not pass, “there's no guarantee of when we will continue to race.”

The Sun Sentinel reported that at Wednesday's subcommittee session, bill sponsor Rep. Adam Anderson claimed that his goal of decoupling was to actually “support” the Thoroughbred industry.

The Sun Sentinel reported that Anderson argued decoupling would give the tracks “the tools that they need to make better business decisions to make their tracks more profitable.”

WUSF radio in Florida quoted Lonny Powell, the chief executive officer of the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders' and Owners' Association (FTBOA), as testifying against the legislation.

“This [bill] is not just a piece of paper [and] everybody is just going to continue to race,” WUSF quoted Powell. “This is a piece of paper that will allow many people to lose their jobs and for a [roughly century-old] signature industry in this state to be in peril.”

The bill is filed for the legislative session that will start Mar. 4.

WUSF reported that representatives of both tracks testified in support of the bill, quoting Gulfstream lobbyist Jeff Johnston as “pushing back against arguments about the potential end of racing.”

Johnston, according to WUSF, said Gulfstream has submitted plans to the state to hold 200 days of races in 2025 and 200 days of racing in 2026.

The Paulick Report's Natalie Voss quoted Johnston as testifying that he claimed to be “a little confused” at some of the testimony.

“Nobody said racing is stopping,” the Paulick Report quoted Johnston as saying. “We are decoupling the two so they can be independent and they can give the track flexibility. Nowhere in the bill, and you can read the bill, does it say racing won't continue. Gulfstream Park does more for the industry in Florida than anybody else.”

WUSF quoted Rep. Yvonne Hinson, whose district includes part of Marion County, as testifying that the bill would “deal a devastating economic blow to the state.”

Hinson argued that Ocala is the “epicenter of the global Thoroughbred industry” and that any passage of decoupling “would kill this county.”

After the session, Powell released the following statement on behalf of the breeders and owners his organization represents in Florida. It read, in part:

“Thoroughbred racing isn't just a sport in Florida. It's a way of life, deeply embedded in our state's history and agricultural heritage. The misguided effort to decouple racing in favor of slot machine and cardroom casinos threatens the heart of our state's $3.24 billion, and growing, Thoroughbred industry. HB 105 undermines a legacy built by multi-generational farms, expert trainers, passionate owners, and the small businesses that keep our communities thriving.

“The FTBOA stands in firm opposition to this bill [and we] urge lawmakers to oppose this bill and protect the jobs, families, and traditions that make Florida a leader in the equine world.”

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