World Casino Directory: The world's casino search engine.
World Casino Directory Gambling Forums North America Casinos United States Casinos Florida Casinos Sarasota Casinos Sarasota Kennel Club Kennel Club may expand to year-round live racin...
Try out No Download - Black Jack at Winward Casino

  
Advanced Forum Search -- Advanced Casino Search

Kennel Club may expand to year-round live racing due to poker
 Message was posted: 09:45 Jun 15th, 2006     
Snake Eyes's avatar - snakeeyes.gif User: Snake Eyes
Rank:
Casino Gold: 4404CG
Contributor rating: 9600
 Status: Offline

Casino News from http://www.venicegondolier.com/


A Sarasota County decision to allow Texas Hold 'Em poker games at the Sarasota Kennel Club may persuade family owners of the track to copy other Florida pari-mutual operations and extend greyhound racing to a year-around attraction.

"It's a possibility we're considering. Racing seasons were deregulated a long time ago," said Kennel Club Vice President Jack Collins Jr. "All we'd have to do is apply to the Florida Division of Pari-Mutual Wagering. We have until November to make plans."

In April the county commission unanimously gave its consent for a card room at the kennel club. Low-stakes poker can only be played when there is live racing at pari-mutuel facilities, and most Florida greyhound tracks with poker rooms have gone to year-around racing.

Ironically, the Collins family owns a kennel club in Orlando that already features year-around racing but no card room. State law requires pari-mutual operators to obtain permission for card rooms from the county where they are located.


In the cards

Permission for a card room at the Sarasota Kennel Club did not come easily. In 2004, the county commission asked Collins to clear it with the Sarasota City Commission because the track is located within the municipal limits. The city voted it down.

Several city commissioners expressed concerns about legalized gambling in the community and suggested poker games were just another incremental step on the road to casino gambling. But their decision did not discourage Collins from trying again.

This spring, he invited city and county commissioners out to the track for an explanation of how pari-mutuel wagering works, and to assure them there is nothing threatening about low-stakes poker. He prevailed when the city commission voted 4-1 to waive its objections.

"Now we have to concentrate on where to put the card room and look for people to work in it," Collins said. "I'm going to take a couple of weeks to look and listen at other card rooms, see how they work, and try to take the best of their ideas. This is all new to us."

Collins won't have to go far. Kennel clubs in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Naples currently feature year-around racing and host Texas Hold 'Em poker games in their card rooms.

"Dog racing is still the main attraction at all of them," he said.

The Collins family has operated the kennel club for more than 60 years, ever since it was purchased for unpaid property taxes in 1944. It currently features live dog-racing during the winter season and closed-circuit televised racing from other tracks year-round.





Forums by topic

Forums by Location

Other
  • Thread map
    • Visit Super Slots
    Online casino reviews
    • USA online casino and poker reviews
    • Germany online casino and poker reviews
    • France online casino and poker reviews
    • Italy online casino and poker reviews


    World Casino Directory | Weltweites Casino-Verzeichnis | Annuaire de casino Du Monde | Directorio Mundial de Casinos | Indice del casino | Diretório Mundial de Cassinos
    About us | Website FAQ | Privacy policy | Advertising rates | Sitemap

    The SAFE Ports Act passed by the U.S. congress is affecting certain payment processors, and as a result, online casinos or
    poker rooms listed with a no USA banner are not currently accepting U.S. players for real money deposits.
    U.S. online gambling ban info

    ©Copyright 2002-2008 World Casino Directory. All rights reserved.