Suffolk Regional Off-Track Betting Corporation (SROTB) delivered over 2,000 personally signed letters to elected and appointed officials in Albany on March 4th. Governor David Paterson; John Sabini, Chairman of the NYS Racing and Wagering Board; J. Gary Pretlow, Chairman of the Assembly Racing and Wagering Committee and Eric Adams, Chairman of the Senate Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee received copies of the letters, which were signed by SROTB employees, friends and family, retirees and customers.

"The time to act is now," said Suffolk OTB President and CEO Jeffrey A. Casale. "We can no longer tolerate privately owned harness tracks reaching into the pockets of Suffolk's taxpayers." Casale was referring to New York State's inequitable distribution formulas that require Suffolk OTB to make payments to privately owned harness tracks. These are funds that would otherwise go to Suffolk County and its taxpayers.

"In the current economic downturn, we must do all we can to increase the funds that we send to Suffolk County," said Suffolk OTB Vice-President Marietta Seaman.

Chief among the legislative actions called for was elimination of "maintenance of effort" and a reduction of "dark day" payments, which would require revisions to 1016 and 1017-a of the NYS Racing and Wagering Law. Private harness track operators feared that the 2003 legislation passed by New York State allowing OTBs to carry out-of-state nighttime thoroughbred racing would cause devastating losses to their nighttime harness racing. In response to their concerns, New York State passed legislation that required OTBs to make "maintenance of effort" payments to the harness tracks as a way to offset losses. These losses never occurred, yet OTBs are still required to make the payments.

The State also mandates that OTBs make "dark day" payments, which essentially pays tracks when they are not running races. "These payments are especially ridiculous when you consider that the privately held harness tracks are making millions due to Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs)," Casale said.

Those who signed the letters also urged the State to require out-ofstate internet wagering companies to function under the same regulatory and statutory conditions as the New York State OTBs.

Pictured in the Hauppauge headquarters of Suffolk Off-Track Betting Corporation are President and CEO, Jeffrey A. Casale and Vice- President Marietta Seaman with copies of the 2,000 letters delivered to New York State officials. The purpose of the letters was to urge the NYS Legislature to pass legislation during this legislative session that would enable OTBs to turn over additional non-tax revenue to Suffolk County and its taxpayers.