Over the past weekend, teh Saturday edition of the local Daily in the Hinsdale Area, the Keene Sentinel (
www.sentinelcource.com) had as its lead beneath the masthead a new story about Hinsdale Racetrack and the Phone Bet Issues. This story gets a worse aroma each time it rears its head. Steve Crist is quoted in the story, and it talks about some "interesting" land deals between the owner of the track, the development company which bought some of the land, which is owned by the main owner of the track, and also where they were on their bills - or not paying them. Lists the Salary of Sullivan while the shipw as taking on water from all sides and also while the state was sending in auditors on a weekly basis to keep an eye on things.
On a personal note, the most interesting aspects of this story are that Hinsdale went before the NH Gaming Board in non-public (NP) session. Having served on muncipal boards in the state before, there are VERY specific rules for which you can and can not go into NP, what you can discuss, and what minutes must be kept. The commissioners to a man say that Sullivan )the owner) said that the bettors would be paid. He denies this. (I'm shocked to find gambling going on in this establishment!) The fact they are discussing in general what took place in NP tells me which way teh state is leaning, and Sullivan's response as to why he never told the bettor's or brought it up at the hearings/discussions ("They never asked") is not going to set well with any of the other parties involved.
Crist's quote is a classic. If anyone wants more on thh local flavor of the discussion as it continues, I will try to keep you up to date as it not only effects some of the people I enjoy reading and learning from here on DT but also because this could be what is used as a case study for how other states set-up/adjust their Phone Betting systems. If no one cares to ask or follow-up with thoughts, I will leave you all alone on this one and I will drop the local updates.
Thanks for all the enjoyment you bring to me on a subject I love greatly, and I just wanted to amke a contribution since so many of you have taught me so much about this sport we hold so dear.