Texas Racing Commission Blasts HISA For Affecting Horseracing

  • The Texas Racing Commission has called out the Horseracing Integrity Act (HISA) via a letter for its intrusive policies.
  • Notable trainers have also publicly spoken out against HISA.
  • A potential ban on horseracing ban was mentioned during a three-hour meeting surrounding HISA.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Horseracing Integrity Act (HISA) continues to see major scrutiny from the horseracing world following a recent meeting.

The Texas Racing Commission alongside multiple trainers and industry personnel have spoken publicly against HISA.

HISA would create federal oversight over the horseracing industry, including giving the government the power to potentially ban horseracing. This risk is something that has seen a lot of outrage from the racing community.

HISA Vs. Everyone

The Texas Racing Commission issued a letter to all occupational and business licensees of the commission in response to the pending enactment of HISA come July 1, 2022.

“Effective immediately, all pending requests for approval for the import and export of pari-mutuel simulcast signals will be considered and approved on a case-by-case basis, in writing, signed by the Executive Director,” wrote Amy F. Cook, Executive Director of the Texas Racing Commission. “This policy change allows for the determination of whether the export or import signal invokes the jurisdiction of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority created by the horseracing Integrity and Safety Act of 2020 (“HISA”), which is effective on July 1, 2022.”

What the commission is aiming to do is outright separate its product from anything associated with the forthcoming HISA. This means that all horse racing events that take place in Texas will only be accessible in Texas. There will be no signal sharing out of the state going forward.

“Since the Texas Racing Commission regulates all aspects of Texas horse racing, including, in particular, pari-mutuel and simulcast wagering in Texas, the application of federal law pursuant to HISA in any aspect of horse racing regulation for a particular race or meet will necessarily preclude the Texas Racing Commission from full compliance with the Texas Racing Act and will, therefore, necessitate that no such affected race shall be allowed to conduct on-site pari-mutuel wagering or provide simulcast export signal,” continued Cook. “Any such request will, of necessity, be denied by the Texas Racing Commission.”

How This Affects Horseracing Betting

One major concern that horseracing fans should look out for is how HISA affects betting on races. One major aspect is the threat of the federal government closing down horseracing altogether. This subject was brought on during the three-hour meeting surrounding HISA.

The goal of HISA is to create a uniform set of rules across the entire horse racing industry. This could lead to a lot of changes for all major racing events, including the Triple Crown races. Horseracing will likely not be the same once HISA is implemented.