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Fonner Files: Elite Casino Resorts Chosen As Track’s Casino Partner

Fonner Park CEO Chris Kotulak shares slices of life from the Grand Island, Neb., racetrack throughout the 2021 meet in the Fonner Files.

Since the majority of Nebraskans voted in casino wagering by a 70 percent majority landslide, things have been very busy in the Fonner Park executive board room.

I established an 11-person committee to find the right casino partner for Fon, and after roughly five months of interviews and deliberations, we have chosen Elite Casino Resorts, LLC.

Apart from community involvement being a mandatory element of the operation, my personal criteria was trust, partnership, and experience. Elite Casino Resorts got an “A+” in all my categories, plus their customer service culture is innate and part of their mission.

To see more, go to elitecasinoresorts.com and check out the video on Facebook here.

An artist's rendering of the planned casino development at Fonner Park.

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New Mexico Bill Proposes Lottery-Run Addition Of Sports Wagering, Table Games To Existing Racinos

Newly proposed legislation in the New Mexico house would upgrade the state's five racinos to include sports wagering and full-service table games like craps, poker, and blackjack, reports the Las Cruces Sun News. Under the proposal, the state lottery would be responsible for managing and operating the casinos, which in turn supports the struggling New Mexico Lottery College Fund.

“I truly believe this is a win-win for the state as a whole,” bill sponsor Rep. Ray Lara, D-Chamberino told the Las Cruces Sun News. “This is going to benefit our young people. This is going to bring jobs. This is going to bring additional revenue to our communities and to our state.”

New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham offered up a bill last year which intended to make up for shortages in the Lottery College Fund from the General Fund, but the bill fell short and is being reworked for the 2021 session. Lara said his bill is not in competition with the Governor's, but instead is intended to strengthen it.

State lottery CEO David Barden told the Santa Fe New Mexican that the lottery was not consulted on the bill prior to its announcement.

New Mexico Senator Steve Neville, R-Farmington, one of the bill's five co-sponsors, said he was asked to support the bill by SunRay Park, his hometown racetrack. Neville explained that tying the gaming expansion to the state lottery, and thus the college fund, is a political move to make the bill more palatable to both the public and other lawmakers.

“We've got tracks that are suffering and are not going to be around if we don't do something,” Neville told the Santa Fe New Mexican. “(The tracks) can't get the support themselves. They wanted to open up gaming in general, and the bill evolved out of that.”

Read more at the Las Cruces Sun News and the Santa Fe New Mexican.

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COVID-19: Gaming, Casinos Shut Down In Illinois Starting Friday

As of Friday, Nov. 20, gaming and casinos will close in the state of Illinois due to rising COVID-19 numbers, according to Emmy Award-winning journalist Samantha Chatman on Twitter.

The closures are a part of the state's “Resurgence Mitigation Plan” that was implemented in July, and are designated Tier 3. According to the state's COVID-19 website, “this new tier aims to limit gatherings and encourages people to stay home to the greatest extent possible, while permitting some industries to remain open at significantly reduced capacities with proper safety measures in place.”

“Tier 3 boils down to this: if you don't need to do it, don't,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker told patch.com. “You should not attend meetings, dinners or gatherings outside your own household,” he added, but noted, “nobody will go door-to-door to check on you.”

The full list of new restrictions is available here: https://coronavirus.illinois.gov/s/restore-illinois-mitigation-plan.

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Keefe: Maryland Racing Able To Maintain Purse Structure, Relax Some Backstretch Restrictions

Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association president Tim Keefe sent out the following letter to Maryland horsemen on Thursday:

Dear Horsemen,

As we get back into the swing of things with the return of live racing in Maryland after a two-and-a-half-month absence, the MTHA would like to sincerely thank the entire racing community for its patience and commitment under extremely difficult economic circumstances.

Please be confident, MTHA is working to ensure that Maryland-based owners and trainers have as many racing opportunities as possible while being mindful of the need to stretch purse funds as far as possible while revenue sources such as casino gaming, off-track betting and on-track betting are gradually restored.

After crunching our numbers with Maryland Jockey Club, we are pleased to be able to resume operations with the same purse structure for all overnight races throughout the rest of the summer while continuing running two days a week. Please know, the rumors of us being forced to cease racing the end of June are completely unfounded.

Moving forward, as revenues increase, we plan to add as many days to the calendar as feasible.

Additionally, Governor Hogan brought us some fantastic news by relaxing some restrictions in place and permitting Casinos to open June 19. Starting Saturday, MJC will be relaxing restrictions of owner's access to the backstretch as well as allowing all licensed personal access to the Backstretch. This is part of a gradual transition to more normal operations which we hope will lead to the opening of our facilities to the general public soon.

Maryland horsemen's resolve and fortitude has been remarkable, and we appreciate enormously your patience as we navigate these uncharted waters.

Again, thank you for staying the course, and success to all going forward. See you at the races.

Best of racing luck and be safe,

Timothy L. Keefe
President, MTHA

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