Despite a shakeup by Gov. Greg Abbott (R, below), the Texas Racing Commission still has a death wish when it comes to “instant racing.” When, in keeping with Abbott’s wishes, the TRC held a vote to repeal the 
VLT gambling, it failed, stuck in a 4-4-1 tie. Never mind that the TRC wants to revisit the issue in February, “give the industry two months to try to do something,” as one commissioner put it, new TRC Chairman Rolando Pablos told his colleagues to expect the worst: defunding of the commission by irate GOP lawmakers. And, without a TRC there can be no racing season, so there goes the whole shooting match … and all because some commission members wanted to keep the door open for racinos, which really ought to be the prerogative of the Lege. (I hate to side with anti-gamblers but the TRC really overreached here.)
Horseman continue to mawkishly posit VLTs as their last, best hope for an industry “that doesn’t have any hope.” (Shades of the Island of Misfit Toys in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.) As it stands, they’ll be able to keep running the ponies through the end of February, at which point all bets will literally be off. The way the horsey set tells it, they’re doomed either way: unable to hold races without a funded TRC and out of business if instant racing is taken away. Even if the commission holds a second vote next year, there’s no guarantee it will give Abbott what he wants. After all, he shook up the TRC with two new appointees — including Pablos — and still didn’t get a repeal of VLTs. It’s difficult to see what could be a game-changer if and when the issue is revisited in February. For certain we will hear more last-ditch rhetoric like Sam Houston Race Track President Andrea Young‘s “This legal case is a lifeline for the industry, a star of hope to follow.”
* Frank Sinatra‘s centenary passed with relatively little fanfare in National Finals Rodeo-besotted Las Vegas. (You might say the NFR stomped on Sinatra’s grave.) However, if you need a fix of the Chairman of the Board, you might try this Esquire magazine tour of his favorite haunts. As you might expect, pride of place goes to the Golden Steer, where you can harden your arteries and toast Ol’ Blue Eyes memory all at once.
* “There is an addiction to gambling problem in California, and the people suffering this addiction are the politicians. They are addicted to the revenues that their cities receive, and the political contributions that they receive,” says former California gaming regulator Richard Schuetz, who has apparently despaired of the Golden State and moved to Bermuda. He accuses local politicians and unions of being tacitly in cahoots with card room owners in keeping regulation weak, resulting in scandals like last week’s big San Diego bust. Schuetz predicts the misconduct will end in bathos, “They will parade their employees and their employees’ children and make an emotional plea to save these jobs and families,” and no meaningful action will be taken.
* Compared to other states, casino licensing in New York has moved at light speed, complaints to the contrary.
