The state of New Mexico is home to a huge number of popular tribal gambling venues. Some of these are known as “racinos,” offering both casino games and horse race wagering options. This week, several gambling lobbyists in the state began pushing to expand and improve New Mexico’s racinos.
Some of the state’s racino owners believe the regulations set in place are unfair to their business. They are now asking lawmakers to loosen these restrictions. Today, we’re going to take a look at exactly what they are asking for.
Let’s get into it!
Casinos in New Mexico Are Struggling to Reopen
Every state around the country has its own regulations towards gambling. New Mexico has taken a somewhat similar approach to states like California. Here, only Native American tribes can operate traditional Class III casinos.
That doesn’t mean the state is lacking great gambling options. Today, nearly 30 gambling venues are operating here. Many of these properties are hugely popular and help to bring the state a massive amount of revenue every single month. There are also a large number of online gambling sites in New Mexico currently available.
In March, all of New Mexico’s casinos and racinos closed their doors to the public. It was a devastating blow to the state’s gambling industry. Some of the casinos here were fairly quick to reopen. Unfortunately, many were forced to close for a second time after the state began to experience another major spike in Covid-19 infections.
It’s been more than six months since the initial shutdown. Incredibly, many of the casinos here are still closed to the public. More have begun to reopen in recent weeks. It’s clear that many residents in the state are choosing to avoid casinos during this time.
Casino companies based in this state are working hard to get things back on track. Racino owners have recently begun to push for a major change. If they get their way, the regulations set on these venues could change in a major way.
The Rules Towards New Mexico’s Racinos May Soon Change
New Mexico is currently home to five different racinos. Prior to 2020, these venues were hugely popular with gamblers. Things have changed in a major way this year and the owners of these properties are now looking for a way to turn things around.
Racino owners recently submitted a new proposal that would lift several major restrictions. One notable change would be allowing racinos to remain open for 24 hours a day. Under the current rules, these properties can only stay open for 18 hours.
Many of the compromises that were made with gambling opponents in the 1990s, would also be thrown out. If approved, alcohol would be allowed on the gambling floor, gambling venues could comp their patrons, and casinos could finally begin establishing lines of credit with individual players.
Rick Baugh, general manager of Sunland Park Racetrack and Casino, believes this won’t result in a spike of problem gamblers around the state.
“All the tracks have teams of trained people who know how to talk with problem gamblers,” he said. “We don’t want their money. We want people who know this is entertainment and have the discretionary dollars to enjoy it.”
New Mexico’s racinos are making the argument that tribal casinos in the state are at a much better advantage in the market. These properties are not faced with any of the regulations listed above. Lifting some of these regulations would even the playing field and likely result in a revenue increase for the state.
We’ll need to wait and see how lawmakers respond to this new request.
It’s Time for the State to Fully Regulate Sports Betting
Back in May of 2018, the US Supreme Court removed PASPA from law. Immediately afterward, every state in the country was given the ability to fully legalize and regulate sports gambling. Today, almost 25 states have done exactly that.
New Mexico was one of the first states to launch a regulated sports betting platform. Things are much different here than in other states, though. In fact, New Mexico’s state government has not formally approved any sports betting bills.
Instead, the tribal Santa Ana Star Casino & Hotel decided to launch its own sportsbook without state permission. This venue operates outside of state regulations, meaning lawmakers had no power to shut its sportsbook down. Several other casinos in the state quickly launched their own sports betting options, too.
Many now feel that it’s time for New Mexico to formally regulate this industry. It won’t be easy, though. Lawmakers would need to come to an agreement with the tribes on this matter. We saw a similar attempt in California fail after negotiations between the state and tribes fell through.
With state regulation, New Mexico would likely earn a huge amount of revenue each month. New Mexico’s racinos would also be given permission to offer sports betting options. It will be interesting to see how this is approached in the next couple of years.
Do you think regulations towards racinos should be lifted? Let us know in the comments section below!
Kevin Oldroyd
A longtime sports and gambling enthusiast, Kevin looks to present up-to-date and reliable information for readers. If he’s not writing, he’s probably watching MMA or playing blackjack. …
