WATERVILLE – Does an annual Maine horsemen’s purse account of $5 million sound a little far-fetched for Maine harness racing, considering today’s economy? Especially remembering that during a record-setting parimutuel racing year in 1988, with both Scarborough Downs and Lewiston Raceway operating, the annual Maine Racing Report for 1988 listed the total purses paid at $4,500,147. Since then, parimutuel handles have steadily declined.

“It may sound like a pipe dream, but today racing is a whole different game and a whole different business,” said Peter Martin, owner of The Maine Event, Maine’s first off-track wagering facility, located in Waterville at the John Martin Manor Restaurant.

Martin belongs to a coalition of Maine horse organizations that supports L.D. 1218, a bill that would allow video lottery terminals at existing and future OTB facilities and race tracks in Maine. The members who support the video lottery bill include Maine’s two commercial tracks, all the off-track wagering facilities, groups representing Maine horsemen, and the fair associations.

“As it stands right now, our industry has put this coalition together called The Alliance for the Survival of Maine Harness Racing,” Martin said. “We’ve all put our differences aside and, for the survival of the sport, have joined together to support this important piece of legislation.”

Martin said the main problem with racing, for the harness and thoroughbred industries, is that the fan base is getting smaller. “As the clientele gets older and we lose customers, the younger people aren’t filling the seats,” he said. “They just don’t have the same interest that came from the older clientele primarily because the younger generation was never exposed to harness racing.

“In the ’60s when they were growing up, the electronic media dropped live horse racing events in favor of baseball and football. So my generation, rather than watching Willie Shoemaker or Herve Filion, grew up watching Mickey Mantle or Bob Cousy,” Martin said. “Even on radio, no one could call a live horse race and make it more exciting then the late Clem McCarthy or Bill Stern.”

Martin said L.D. 1218 would do a number of things for the industry.

“You immediately attract a different audience,” he observed. The industry has learned over the years that through advertising, promotions or special racing events, people will come to the races. But they will not keep coming unless there are long-term promotions.

“In researching this,” Martin said, “what we found was that with video gaming, you immediately increase your female clientele between 70-80 percent. Right from day one, women seem to enjoy the VLTs.”

Martin said he is working with a Las Vegas consulting firm in preparation for video lottery gaming.

“When this legislation passes and I am allotted 200 machines, the worst thing I could do as an operator would be to put 50 machines in my OTB. They recommend you put a half-dozen machines in the OTB room and have a separate room for the remaining machines.”

To project revenue from L.D. 1218, the group looked at the industry’s average and took the most conservative research it could find, the Oregon Lottery Commission, which was below the industries’ average and based figures on revenues derived from 2,400 VLT, which is the amount of machines alloted in L.D. 1218.

The projected revenues for one year to the Maine horse industry and the state, according to Martin’s figures, would be: Maine’s General Fund, (34 percent) $19.3 million; machine distribution, (22 percent) $12.5 million; licenses (24 percent) $13.6 million; harness purse account, (9 percent) $5.1 million; Maine Sire Stakes Fund, (1 percent) $567,840; administration (4 percent) 2.3 million; harness stipend fund (2 percent) $1.1 million; agricultural support fund (2 percent) 1.1 million; and commercial tracks (2 percent) $1.1 million.

The group found that the Maine racing industry is facing stiff competition from alternate forms of gaming in Maine and out of Maine – beano games, high-stakes beano games on native American land in Bethel, Calais, Old Town and Presque Isle; and state lotteries and a proposed casino by the Passamaquoddy Indians in Calais.

Just across the border, in Woodstock, New Brunswick, there is high-stakes Bingo and the promise of a casino in Woodstock.

Add the Foxwood Casino complex in Connecticut; VLT legislation that permits 1,000 machines at every parimutuel location in Rhode Island; VLTs in Massachusetts and a pending casino-slot bill in Bedford, Mass.; plus an estimated 1,500-2,000 illegal VLT “gray” machines that are unregulated and unlicensed by the state of Maine and operating in non-profit halls, social clubs, bars and taverns.

The VLT legislation will probably be considered during the first session of the 118th Legislature in late January.

Pacing Bits: The Maine State Harness Racing Commission will hold a public hearing on 1996 date requests beginning at 9 a.m. on Nov. 21-22, in Room 113, State Office Building, Augusta. Scarborough Downs is requesting 222 live racing dates. An additional 120 live racing days are being requested from 13 other Maine racing organizations.