WELLINGTON - Moving banks of poker machines from one race meeting to another will be considered now the High Court has ruled racing clubs can continue operating them.
Some racing clubs had already been operating gaming machines but renewal of their licences had been deferred pending the outcome of the High Court decision.
It is now expected more racing clubs will apply for machines and New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing chairman, Murray Acklin, said the legality of moving banks of machines between race meetings would be investigated.
"That will be something we will look into," Acklin told the NZTR annual meeting yesterday.
"But if we are able to do that, then we'll certainly do it.
"In between races people could play to their hearts' content."
Acklin said it was more likely only the bigger clubs would be able to afford them.
The TAB is also likely to up its ante in regard to gaming machines, as a three-month trial of gaming machines in a TAB in Palmerston North had proven popular.
The racing industry's case for gaming machines was put forward by Sir Geoffrey Palmer who advised the meeting of the High Court decision. However, he warned that gaming machines must remain a side business for racing clubs.
On others matters yesterday it was announced $900,000 over the next three years has been designated to a programme to increase ownership of racehorses.
The money has been allotted by the New Zealand Racing Industry Board, the TAB and NZTR with each giving $300,000, said NZTR director David Ellis.
Part of the NZTR's business plan is to increase the number of active owners by 20 percent by the year 2005 but Ellis said it was difficult to determine the number of active owners.
- NZPA
Racing: Pokies may travel to meetings
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.