N.Y. Racing, Pari-Mutuel Wagering and Breeding Law § 304: Right to hold harness race meetings and races

§ 304. Right to hold harness race meetings and races. Any corporation

formed under the provisions of sections two hundred twenty-two through

seven hundred five of this chapter, and any corporation or association

which shall have conducted harness horse race meetings during two years

prior to March thirty-first, nineteen hundred forty, and any town or

county fair association or other fair association shall have the power

and the right to hold one or more harness horse race meetings in each

year and to hold, maintain and conduct harness races at such meetings.

At such harness race meetings the corporation or association, or the

owners of horses engaged in such races, or others who are not

participants in the race, may contribute purses, prizes, premiums or

stakes to be contested for, but no person or persons other than the

owner or owners of a horse or horses contesting in a race shall have any

pecuniary interest in a purse, prize, premium or stake contested for in

such race, or be entitled to or receive any portion thereof after such

race is finished, and the whole of such purse, prize, premium or stake

shall be allotted in accordance with the terms and conditions of such

race. Such meeting shall not be held except during the period extending

from the first day of January to the thirty-first day of December

inclusive in each year. In counties having a population of two hundred

fifty thousand or less, the commission may, however, permit the holding

of one or more harness horse race meetings and the conduct of harness

races at such meetings on a day or days not during such period if the

commission is satisfied that a special occasion makes the holding of

such meetings and the conduct of such races on such day or days proper

or necessary; but in no event shall such meetings or races be held or

conducted on the twenty-fifth day of December. Such power and right,

however, shall not include the right to conduct pari-mutuel betting at

such harness horse race meetings except pursuant to license granted by

the commission pursuant to sections two hundred twenty-two through seven

hundred five of this chapter.

§ 45. Section 305 of the racing, pari-mutuel wagering and breeding law

is amended to read as follows:

§ 305. Pari-mutuel betting at harness races. No more than eight

corporations or associations shall be licensed by the commission in any

one year to conduct a pari-mutuel meet or meets. Said pari-mutuel

betting conducted at such meetings shall be under the general

supervision and control of the commission which shall make rules

regulating the conduct of such pari-mutuel betting in accordance with

the provisions of sections two hundred twenty-two through seven hundred

five of this chapter. The department of taxation and finance is charged

with the financial administration of pari-mutuel betting as prescribed

in this article and as supplemented by the rules and regulations of the

commission. The department of taxation and finance shall have authority

to prescribe the forms and the system of accounting to be employed, and

through its representatives shall at all times have power of access to

and examination of any equipment relating to such betting.