Bill Text: FL S0408 | 2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Thoroughbred Permitholders
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-10 - Referred to Regulated Industries; Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government; Rules [S0408 Detail]
Download: Florida-2025-S0408-Introduced.html
Florida Senate - 2025 SB 408
By Senator Burgess
23-00639A-25 2025408__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to thoroughbred permitholders;
3 amending s. 550.01215, F.S.; removing a requirement
4 that a thoroughbred permitholder must conduct live
5 racing; amending s. 551.104, F.S.; removing certain
6 slot machine gaming licensure requirements for
7 thoroughbred permitholders who are slot machine
8 licensees; providing an effective date.
9
10 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
11
12 Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section
13 550.01215, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
14 550.01215 License application; periods of operation;
15 license fees; bond.—
16 (1) Each permitholder shall annually, during the period
17 between January 15 and February 4, file in writing with the
18 commission its application for an operating license for a pari
19 mutuel facility for the conduct of pari-mutuel wagering during
20 the next state fiscal year, including intertrack and simulcast
21 race wagering. Each application for live performances must
22 specify the number, dates, and starting times of all live
23 performances that the permitholder intends to conduct. It must
24 also specify which performances will be conducted as charity or
25 scholarship performances.
26 (b)1. A greyhound permitholder may not conduct live racing.
27 A jai alai permitholder, thoroughbred permitholder, harness
28 horse racing permitholder, or quarter horse racing permitholder
29 may elect not to conduct live racing or games. A thoroughbred
30 permitholder must conduct live racing. A greyhound permitholder,
31 jai alai permitholder, thoroughbred permitholder, harness horse
32 racing permitholder, or quarter horse racing permitholder that
33 does not conduct live racing or games retains its permit; is a
34 pari-mutuel facility as defined in s. 550.002(23); if such
35 permitholder has been issued a slot machine license, the
36 facility where such permit is located remains an eligible
37 facility as defined in s. 551.102(4), continues to be eligible
38 for a slot machine license pursuant to s. 551.104(3), and is
39 exempt from ss. 551.104(10) ss. 551.104(4)(c) and (10) and
40 551.114(2); is eligible, but not required, to be a guest track
41 and, if the permitholder is a harness horse racing permitholder,
42 to be a host track for purposes of intertrack wagering and
43 simulcasting pursuant to ss. 550.3551, 550.615, 550.625, and
44 550.6305; and remains eligible for a cardroom license.
45 2. A permitholder or licensee may not conduct live
46 greyhound racing or dogracing in connection with any wager for
47 money or any other thing of value in the state. The commission
48 may deny, suspend, or revoke any permit or license under this
49 chapter if a permitholder or licensee conducts live greyhound
50 racing or dogracing in violation of this subparagraph. In
51 addition to, or in lieu of, denial, suspension, or revocation of
52 such permit or license, the commission may impose a civil
53 penalty of up to $5,000 against the permitholder or licensee for
54 a violation of this subparagraph. All penalties imposed and
55 collected must be deposited with the Chief Financial Officer to
56 the credit of the General Revenue Fund.
57 Section 2. Paragraphs (d) through (j) of subsection (4) of
58 section 551.104, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as
59 paragraphs (c) through (i), respectively, and paragraph (c) of
60 subsection (4) and paragraph (a) of subsection (10) of that
61 section are amended, to read:
62 551.104 License to conduct slot machine gaming.—
63 (4) As a condition of licensure and to maintain continued
64 authority for the conduct of slot machine gaming, the slot
65 machine licensee shall:
66 (c) If a thoroughbred permitholder, conduct no fewer than a
67 full schedule of live racing or games as defined in s.
68 550.002(10). A permitholder’s responsibility to conduct live
69 races or games shall be reduced by the number of races or games
70 that could not be conducted due to the direct result of fire,
71 strike, war, hurricane, pandemic, or other disaster or event
72 beyond the control of the permitholder.
73 (10)(a)1. No slot machine license or renewal thereof shall
74 be issued to an applicant holding a permit under chapter 550 to
75 conduct pari-mutuel wagering meets of thoroughbred racing unless
76 the applicant has on file with the commission a binding written
77 agreement between the applicant and the Florida Horsemen’s
78 Benevolent and Protective Association, Inc., governing the
79 payment of purses on live thoroughbred races conducted at the
80 licensee’s pari-mutuel facility. In addition, no slot machine
81 license or renewal thereof shall be issued to such an applicant
82 unless the applicant has on file with the commission a binding
83 written agreement between the applicant and the Florida
84 Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association, Inc., governing the payment
85 of breeders’, stallion, and special racing awards on live
86 thoroughbred races conducted at the licensee’s pari-mutuel
87 facility. The agreement governing purses and the agreement
88 governing awards may direct the payment of such purses and
89 awards from revenues generated by any wagering or gaming the
90 applicant is authorized to conduct under Florida law. All purses
91 and awards shall be subject to the terms of chapter 550. All
92 sums for breeders’, stallion, and special racing awards shall be
93 remitted monthly to the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’
94 Association, Inc., for the payment of awards subject to the
95 administrative fee authorized in s. 550.2625(3).
96 2. No slot machine license or renewal thereof shall be
97 issued to an applicant holding a permit under chapter 550 to
98 conduct pari-mutuel wagering meets of quarter horse racing
99 unless the applicant has on file with the commission a binding
100 written agreement between the applicant and the Florida Quarter
101 Horse Racing Association or the association representing a
102 majority of the horse owners and trainers at the applicant’s
103 eligible facility, governing the payment of purses on live
104 quarter horse races conducted at the licensee’s pari-mutuel
105 facility. The agreement governing purses may direct the payment
106 of such purses from revenues generated by any wagering or gaming
107 the applicant is authorized to conduct under Florida law. All
108 purses shall be subject to the terms of chapter 550.
109 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.
