Arizona § 5-111 - Wagering percentage to permittee and state; exemptions

§ 5-111. Wagering percentage to permittee and state; exemptions

A. The commission shall prescribe rules governing wagering on races under the system known as pari-mutuel wagering. Wagering shall be conducted by a permittee only by pari-mutuel wagering and only on the dates for which racing or dark day simulcasting has been authorized by the commission. Wagering for a licensed racing meeting shall be conducted by a commercial live-racing permittee only within an enclosure and, in counties having a population of less than five hundred thousand persons or at least one million five hundred thousand persons, at those additional facilities that are owned or leased by a permittee, that are approved by the commission and that are used by a permittee for handling wagering as part of the pari-mutuel system of the commercial live-racing permittee. In all other counties, wagering may also be conducted at additional facilities that are owned or leased by a commercial live-racing permittee who is licensed to conduct live racing in those counties or, until January 1, 2019, who has the consent of all commercial permittees currently licensed to conduct live racing in those counties, and that are used by a permittee for handling wagering and as part of the pari-mutuel system of the commercial live-racing permittee.  Beginning January 1, 2019, consent of commercial permittees licensed to conduct live racing in those counties is not required.  From and after December 31, 2016, any agreement concerning simulcasting that is executed between a permittee that conducted live dog racing in 2016 and a horse racing facility that is located in a county with a population of more than three million persons shall provide that twenty percent of the commission fee paid to a permittee that conducted live dog racing in 2016 under that agreement be distributed to the recognized horsemen's association that represents horsemen participating in race meets in this state. If the additional facilities have not been used for authorized racing before their use for handling wagering, a permittee shall not use the facilities for handling wagering before receiving approval for use by the governing body of the city or town, if located within the corporate limits, or by the board of supervisors, if located in an unincorporated area of the county. A permittee may televise any live or simulcast races received at the permittee's racing enclosure to the additional facilities at the times the races are conducted or received at the permittee's enclosure. For the purpose of section 5-110, subsection C only, a race on which wagering is permitted under this subsection shall be deemed to also occur at the additional facility in the county in which the additional facility is located, and shall be limited in the same manner as actual live racing in that county. For the purpose of subsection B of this section, the wagering at the additional facility shall be deemed to occur in the county in which the additional facility is located.

B. During the period of a permit for horse or harness racing, the permittee that conducts the meeting may deduct up to and including twenty-five percent of the total amount handled in the regular pari-mutuel pools and, at the permittee's option, may deduct up to and including thirty percent of the total amount handled in the exacta, daily double, quinella and other wagering pools involving two horses, and up to and including thirty-five percent of the total amount handled in the trifecta or other wagering pools involving more than two horses in one or more races. The amounts if deducted shall be distributed as prescribed in subsection C of this section and section 5-111.02 for horse or harness racing permittees.

C. During the period of a permit for horse or harness racing, the state shall receive two percent of the gross amount of the first one million dollars of the daily pari-mutuel pools and five percent of the gross amount exceeding one million dollars of the daily pari-mutuel pools.  Notwithstanding any other provision of this subsection, the percentage paid by a permittee to the state does not apply to monies handled in a pari-mutuel pool for wagering on simulcasts of out-of-state races. The permittee shall retain the balance of the total amounts deducted pursuant to subsection B of this section. Of the amount retained by the permittee, minus the amount payable to the permittee for capital improvements pursuant to section 5-111.02, breakage distributed to the permittee pursuant to section 5-111.01 and other applicable state, county and city transaction privilege or other taxes, unless otherwise agreed by written contract, fifty percent shall be used for purses. Unless otherwise agreed by written contract, fifty percent of the revenues received by the permittee from simulcasting races as provided in section 5-112, net of costs of advertising, shall be utilized as a supplement to the general purse structure. All amounts that are deducted from the pari-mutuel pool for purses pursuant to this section and sections 5-111.01, 5-112 and 5-114 and revenues that are received from simulcasting and that are to be used as a supplement to the general purse structure pursuant to this subsection shall be deposited daily into a trust account for the payment of purse amounts.

D. Any county fair racing association may apply to the commission for one racing meeting each year and the commission shall set the number of days and the dates of the meetings. A racing meeting conducted under this subsection shall be operated in such manner so that all profits accrue to the county fair racing association, and the county fair racing association may deduct from the pari-mutuel pool the same amount as prescribed in subsection B of this section. All county fair racing meetings, whether conducted by county fair racing associations under this subsection or by an individual, corporation or association other than a county fair racing association, are exempt from the payment to the state of the percentage of the pari-mutuel pool prescribed by subsection C of this section and are also exempt from the provisions of section 5-111.01.

E. Monies from charity racing days are exempt from the state percentage of the pari-mutuel pool prescribed in this section.

F. Sums held by a permittee for payment of unclaimed pari-mutuel tickets are exempt from the revised Arizona unclaimed property act, title 44, chapter 3.

G. All of the amounts received by a permittee from the gross amount of monies handled in a pari-mutuel pool and all amounts held by a permittee for payment of purses pursuant to this section and sections 5-111.01, 5-112 and 5-114 are exempt from the provisions of title 42, chapter 5.