Canterbury Park and Running Aces Harness Park already have 24-hour card rooms featuring poker, blackjack and other card games. The passage of racino legislation would allow Canterbury Park and Running Aces to install the same video and slot machines found at 18 other casinos around the state.

In addition, the legislation introduced as S.F. 1909 and H.F. 2338 will solidify horse racing in Minnesota by increasing purses at Canterbury Park and Running Aces. The increased purses will make Minnesota competitive with states such as Iowa, Indiana and Pennsylvania that already have Racinos. The additional money will improve the economics of horse racing and will substantially grow the economic impact associated with Minnesota’s racing, breeding and overall horse industries.

Furthermore, estimates provide that the state will receive at least $130 million per year to put toward any project the legislature deems fit. As introduced, S.F. 1909 and H.F. 2338 would help accelerate the repayment of the school shift that was enacted in the summer of 2011.

Here’s how a Racino would work, in FIVE easy steps

STEP 1: The citizens of Minnesota convince their legislators that the racino issue is vitally important to the state and its citizens. Politics as usual cannot continue to derail the racino bill. This is where your help and participation is needed! Click here to write a letter to your elected officials telling them how racino legislation will create jobs and generate revenue when we need it the most.

STEP 2: Once the legislature passes a racino bill, video and slot machines will be added to Canterbury Park and Running Aces Harness Park where gambling is already regulated by the state under the Minnesota Racing Commission.

STEP 3: Canterbury Park and Running Aces will build additional gaming facilities at their current locations, leading to hundreds of construction jobs and creating hundreds more jobs once the facilities are up and running.

STEP 4: The state of Minnesota will receive estimated revenues of $250 million from these facilities every budget cycle to be used to accelerate the payback of the school shift that was enacted in July 2011.

STEP 5: The racing industry will receive purse supplements designed to grow Minnesota's racing, breeding and agricultural industries. This will create jobs throughout the entire state as horse operations expand in every county of the state.