University of Virginia Library

Legislative Study Commission Supports
Legalized Betting On Horse Races

By MARGARET ALFORD

A legislative study commission
Tuesday declared that it favors legalized
parimutuel betting on horse races.

The commission, however, will not
press for action on the issue by the 1972
General Assembly.

According to Delegate Daniel G. Van
Clief of Albemarle County, head of the 21
member commission, the group needs
more time to write bills with safeguards
against possible problems or abuses of the
racing and gambling system.

"We have studied parimutuel systems
in other states, and the only problem
seems to be an increase of organized
crime, although every state has organized
crime," he said.

"This is primarily due to poor writing
of legislation by the state," he stated.
"One of the safeguards our commission
hopes to write concerns diversification of
ownership."

"We need more time to make a careful
study to assure that Virginia does not
entrench itself as soon as the bill is
written," he declared.

The commission voted unanimously to
request that the assembly extend the
study next month for one more year,
after an initial vote with one dissension,
to approve the parimutuel principle.

Addison Dalton of Richmond
disagreed with the majority of the
commission, citing "valid moral
objections" to horse race gambling. He
doubted that revenues received would be
"worth the gamble we would be taking."

Mr. Van Clief stated later that moral
objections were "not a valid issue. We are
not judging what people's morals should
be. We can't protect you from yourself
by legislation."

Estimates vary on the amount that the
state treasury would realize in taxes. Mr.
Van Clief feels that revenues would "be
about $4 million per year initially,
escalating to about $15 million within the
next several years."

The State Revenue Resources
Commission estimate of the revenues is an
annual $7 million initially.

Twenty-eight states now have legalized
parimutuel betting. Revenues usually go
into general state funds.

No legalizing statutes could be enacted
before January of February 1973 if the
assembly session that convenes on Jan. 12
goes along with the study commission's
request as expected. Hence, no track
could be in operation until 1974 or 1975.

Mr. Van Clief, a successful and
well-known horse breeder, denies any
conflict of interest in his position on the
commission.

"Legalizing betting in Virginia
wouldn't help me. I am not in the racing
business," he asserted.

"I occasionally race a filly in the Big
Apple (New York and Florida) but for
the most part I sell horses," he added.
"We have established markets in New
York and Florida, and because of
contacts there, it would be silly to do
anything else," Mr. Van Clief said.

Mr. Van Clief owns about 45 horses at
his Albemarle County farm.