WHRC: Presentation to WA Senate Business, Financial Services and Trade Committee
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- Congressional materials
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- 2025 01 22 A32364 D275628 Whrc Washington Horse Racing Commission Overview Ppt
- Date
- 2025-01-22
- Case
- 2025 01 22 A32364 D275628 Whrc Washington Horse Racing Commission Overview Ppt
Summary
A Washington Horse Racing Commission (WHRC) overview presentation to the WA Senate Business, Financial Services and Trade Committee dated January 22, 2025. The slides describe the commission's statutory authority under Chapter 67.16 RCW, its mission and goals, its three voting members and four legislative ex-officio members, and its staff structure. They list the accounts it manages, funding of its operating account from a 1.803% pari-mutuel tax, license fees and source market fees, and performance measures showing live race days falling from 123 in 1999 to 55 in 2024. Other slides cover an estimated $240,497,351 annual economic contribution, federal oversight fees under the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act, agency request bill HB 1327, and industry challenges.
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Cite this document
“2025 01 22 A32364 D275628 Whrc Washington Horse Racing Commission Overview Ppt.”
Original at app.leg.wa.gov, dated 2025-01-22. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/2025-01-22-2025-01-22-a32364-d275628-whrc-washington-horse-racing-commission-overview-ppt/
, SHA-256 a6e08ec96b2e205df8cb77683d53ec29be1be89ccf24818f97e9ad3425bd18f3.Full text
Created in 1933 by Chapter 55 Laws of Washington
Presentation to WA Senate Business, Financial
Services and Trade Committee
January 22, 2025
Statutory Authority
Regulates pari-mutuel horse racing under authority of the
Racing Act, Chapter 67.16 RCW
Advance Deposit Wagering, RCW 67.16.260
Live Horse Racing Compact, Chapter 67.16 RCW
Rules and regulations promulgated by the WHRC are
codified in Title 260 WAC.
Statutory Responsibility, Mission and Goals
Statutory Responsibility
RCW 67.16.101 Legislative finding—Responsibilities of horse racing commission—
The legislature finds that:
(1) A primary responsibility of the horse racing commission is the encouragement of the training and
development of the equine industry in the state of Washington whether the result of this training and development
results in legalized horse racing or in the recreational use of horses;
(2) The horse racing commission has a further major responsibility to assure that any facility used as a race
course should be maintained and upgraded to insure the continued safety of both the public and the horse at any
time the facility is used for the training or contesting of these animals;
Mission
The mission of the WHRC is to regulate pari-mutuel horse racing and support the development of
the equine industry in the state of Washington.
Goals
1. Foster a regulatory environment that promotes the economic benefits of the equine industry.
2. Ensure that the public has confidence in the integrity of pari-mutuel horse racing.
Agency Overview
Three voting members appointed by the Governor
Douglas Moore Robert Lopez Dr. Claude Ragle, DVM
Commission Chair Commissioner Commissioner
Four non-voting legislative ex-officio members
Senator DEREK STANFORD Senator PHIL FORTUNATO
Representative JOE SCHMICK Representative CHRIS STEARNS
The Commission appoints an Executive Secretary who appoints staff and
manages day-to-day operations
Regulatory Presence
Commissioners Ex Officio Members
Douglas Robert Dr. Claude Sen. Phil Fortunato Rep. Chris Stearns
Moore Lopez Ragle
(Chair) Sen. Derek Stanford Rep. Joe Schmick
Ann-Kathrin Zemann Amanda Benton Melanie Bowdish
Deputy Executive Confidential
Secretary Secretary Secretary
#82 #4 #8
Yvonne Doll
Racing Official II
#50
Aarika Nelson Darrell Farwell Board of Stewards (Emerald Downs) Class C Meets
Dr. Ron Friedman
Racing Official II Investigator III Equine Medical Dan Bryson Vacant Vince Funk TBD
#45 #49 Class C Presiding
Director Steward Presiding Steward Steward Steward
#11 #29 #25 #9 #28
Marlene Spencer
Racing Official II Hugh Wales
#30 Investigator II Dr. Colette Bergam Brenda Holmes
On Call #10 Veterinarian Veterinarian Specialist 2 Ken Peery Jody Parmenter D.W. Smith
#80 #62 Racing Official II Racing Official II Steward
Francis Martin
Racing Official I
#22 #47 #05
#31
On Call
Dr. Bob Campbell Richard Reamy
Backup Veterinarian Truck Driver II
#77 #63 Robert Sodergren Vacant Alexis Warner
TBD
Racing Official I Racing Official I Racing Official I Racing Official I
#21 #44 #48 #51
Dr. Lutz Harfst Sheyenne Murphey
On Call
Vet Technician
Backup Veterinarian #75
Vacant #78 On Call
Vacant Chloe Miller Savannah Olguin
Class C Investigator II Racing Official I
Racing Official II Racing Official I
#65 Vacant Vet Assistant #13
#53 #31
Backup Veterinarian 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 34, 35, 36,
#79 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43
Vacant
Class C Fingerprint Tech II
#46
Racetracks and Off-Track Betting
Locations
Map of Washington OTBs
Emerald Downs
(Auburn)
51 days of racing
April 27, 2025 to
September 7, 2025
Accounts Managed
Owners’ Bonus – RCW 67.16.102(1) & RCW 67.16.275
Class C Purse – RCW 67.16.105(3) & RCW 67.16.285
WHRC Operating – RCW 67.16.105(2) & RCW 67.16.280
Donohue Fund – RCW 67.16.102(2)
Revenues –
WHRC Operating Account
The WHRC Operating Account is funded from:
Pari-mutuel tax (1.803% of all monies wagered on live
racing at Emerald Downs and OTBs)
License fees (All persons participating directly in horse
racing)
Source Market Fee (6% of total source market fees from
Advance Deposit Wagering)
Performance Measures
Measuring the health of horse racing
Live Race In-state Horses per
Days Wagers Race
1999 123 $ 158,454,428 8.13
2004 110 $ 136,467,998 7.10
2009 110 $ 114,383,570 7.30
2014 79 $ 77,971,391 6.30
2019 67 $ 72,722,075 6.77
2024 55 $ 46,905,442 6.45
Performance Measures
Horse Racing Industry Participation
2014 2019 2021 2024
Owners/Prospective 1,234 1,269 811 853
Owners
Trainers/Assistant 158 166 109 114
Trainers
Grooms 182 216 215 217
Exercise & Pony Riders 218 233 192 199
Jockeys/Apprentice 63 56 43 43
Jockeys
Performance Measures
Washington-bred Owners and Breeders Awards
Annual
WA Bred WA Bred
WA Bred
Owners Awards Breeders Awards
Foal Crop
1999 $ 1,574,339 $ 787,169 1,021
2003 $ 1,413,187 $ 859,047 763
2007 $ 1,513,805 $ 961,590 625
2011 $ 463,440 $ 377,485 337
2015 $ 539,013 $ 355,845 260
2018 $ 509,412 $ 175,629 181
2022* $ 410,160 $ 210,755 127
*2022 is the latest Foal Crop data available from The Jockey Club
Impact of Horse Racing -
Who Does One Racehorse Employ?
Impact of Horse Racing – Estimated Direct and Indirect Economic Contribution
Emerald Horse Owners Breeders Total
Salaries and Wages $11,077,864 $16,800,744 $8,580,000 $36,458,608
Payments to Other
$12,671,324 $8,114,213 $4,905,210 $25,690,747
Industries
Payments to
$4,409,388 $1,502,343 $2,484,478 $8,396,209
Government Agencies
Annual Cash Outflows
$28,158,576 $26,417,299 $15,969,688 $70,545,563
Total
Investment Value $ 86,686,592 $ 16,057,800 $58,949,472 $ 161,693,864
Total Direct and Indirect Annual Economic Contribution to the State of Washington $ 240,497,351*
This study was conducted in 2019 and updated in 2022 Emerald Downs Racing LLC.
*Indirect economic impact based on 3.5 multiplier for visitor’s expenses based on a study by Seattle-King County
Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Federal Oversight
Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act
Congress passed a bill authorizing the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) as a
private self-regulatory organization. HISA develops rules related to horseracing, including anti-
doping, medication control and racetrack safety.
The Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit was established in partnership with DFSI,
administers the rules and enforcement mechanisms of HISA's ADMC Program. HIWU
oversees testing, educates stakeholders on the new system, accredits laboratories,
investigates potential integrity violations and prosecutes rule breaches.
HISA’s 2025 operating budget is over $81 million, and the horseracing industry is assessed
fees to cover this cost. Washington’s 2025 assessment fee is $712,425 with potential credits
for employing staff to operate the test barn lowering the expected direct fee to HISA to
$424,775.
In 2026, HISA’s methodology for assessing fees will change to eliminate the consideration for
purses paid and it is expected that Washington’s assessment fee will be over $1.2 million.
Agency Request Legislation
HB 1327 Concerning Horse Racing
This is a regulatory clean-up bill
Creates a consistency with fees and taxes assessed
Updates the laws to remove dated language and better
align them with technology advances that society has
experienced
Makes minor changes to the laws to better reflect the
current industry business practices
Industry Challenges
Federally mandated regulatory fees assessed by the
Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority
Net receipts from pari-mutuel wagering are down
1994 Net Receipts was $31 million*
2023 Net Receipts was $19.8 million*
*Gambling net receipts reported by Gambling Commission
Loss of horse racing industry participants
Questions?
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