The Ohio Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association recently sued Belterra Park Cincinnati racino for withholding more than $2.7 million in video lottery gaming revenue. The association of racehorse owners and trainers filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio in Columbus, alleging Belterra failed to pay the OHBPA its full share of video lottery proceeds between 2014 and 2018.
The complaint states when Ohio legalized video lottery terminals in 2009, racinos were required to divide revenue between the track, the Ohio Lottery Commission and the OHBPA, which was to receive between 9 percent and 11 percent of the proceeds. The Ohio State Racing Commission was required to set the actual rate for owners and trainers; however, that didn’t happen until June 27, 2018, when the rate was set at 9.95 percent. In the interim, the OHBPA collected 9 percent of proceeds.
Belterra installed its VLTs in May 2014. It was required to make up the difference for the 0.95 percent rate in payments to the OHBPA. According to the lawsuit, Belterra never made those payments although it continued to operate VLTs. “The OHBPA has been deprived of these funds, which go directly toward the benefit of horse breeding and horseracing in Ohio,” the complaint states.
Also listed as defendants in the lawsuit are Pinnacle Entertainment, Belterra owners between 2011 and 2018, and Penn National Gaming, which owned Belterra for part of 2018. Boyd Gaming has owned the venue since October 2018.
