By Tony McVeigh
Frankfort, KY – Instant racing is another step closer to leaving the gate at Kentucky horse tracks. But as Kentucky Public Radio's Tony McVeigh reports, opponents of the new form of gambling still hope to block it.
Instant racing, which involves electronic gambling on previously-run horse races, has never won legislative approval in Kentucky. But last month, a legislative oversight panel refused to block regulations allowing instant racing. When the legislature's interim budget committee last week refused to take up the issue, instant racing in Kentucky moved closer to becoming a reality. That upsets Martin Cothran of the Family Foundation of Kentucky, which opposes expanded gambling.
"We would have far preferred there had been some legislative involvement in this process of what is essentially passing a law."
But Cothran says instant racing still isn't a done deal in Kentucky, because the issue's still being argued in the courts. It's currently in the Court of Appeals, because the Supreme Court refused to hear a direct appeal of a lower court ruling allowing instant racing.