Santa Anita Park Files Suit Against California DOJ Over Seizure of Betting Machines
Santa Anita Park filed a writ of mandate on Tuesday against the California Department of Justice after state and local law enforcement officers removed the betting machines, also known as Racing on Demand machines, over the weekend.
Santa Anita Park Betting Machines Were Installed Recently
According to The Los Angeles Times, the 52-page complaint was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, offering new details on the confiscation of 26 betting machines on Saturday.
The Los Angeles Turf Club, the group behind the track, filed the lawsuit.
The suit is also bringing the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) into the investigation by citing multiple meetings that racing officials had with the regulatory agency.
According to court documents, California law enforcement officials removed the new Racing on Demand machines just two days after Santa Anita Park installed the betting machines.
The DOJ said it will destroy the machines in 30 days barring legal remedies to return them to the racetrack.
What Are Racing On Demand Machines
The Racing on Demand machines offer track visitors the chance to wager on past races. The machines operate with a 3X3 wagering format.
They require bettors to pick the horses finishing first, second, and third in three different races. The betting machines were approved by the CHRB in 2024 for only live races.
The petitioner of the writ of mandate seeks that the 3X3 wager be deemed legal for concluded races as it is with live races. It also seeks the return of the machines and money that was in the machines.
The purpose of the betting machines was to provide an additional source of income for Santa Anita’s purses, which have been unable to compete with other states where purse accounts are increased by supplemental income from Historic Horse Racing (HHR) machines.
On the first day they were available at Santa Anita, the 26 machines handled $11,281 in dollar bets. On Friday, it was $11,465 and Saturday it was $3,854. The total was $26,600.
California DOJ Allegedly Had No Warrant
Per The LA Times, Santa Anita officials said the Racing on Demand machines were confiscated without a warrant or warning. The DOJ, however, said a warrant wasn’t needed because the racetrack is an “open business with ongoing criminal activity.”
The lawsuit adds, “Neither the Attorney General’s office, nor the CHRB, ever disputed [the track’s] written legal analysis or stated that the [track] did not have the legal right to offer the 3X3 wager on concluded races.”
The betting machines allegedly violate the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) because they collect money for live bets. California tribes control most non-pari-mutuel gambling in the Golden State.
“There was always only one outcome out of this,” Indian Gaming Association Conference Chair Victor Rocha told The LA Times.
“They know it. I know it. Especially after what happened with sweepstakes [casinos] and what’s currently happening with prediction markets.”
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