(WHAS11) - Governor Steve Beshear's plan to save Kentucky's horse racing industry is meeting mixed reaction. Churchill Downs Senior Vice President Kevin Flanery says the plan will "Provide the moneyto purses." While Family Foundation analyst David Edmunds says it was not a horse bill, but a "slot bill."& #160;
The war of words over video slots at Kentucky horse tracks has been going on for several years, but now, as the special legislative session nears, it is really revving up.
Flanery says that the plan basically asks that people be allowed to gamble in Louisville instead of across the river in Indiana. He calls the plan a "benefit to Kentucky." However, Edmunds is quick to say a lot of Kentuckians don't want to expand gambling here.
Governor Beshear's plan predicts around $700 million in revenue from video slots in the state and 14.5 percent would go straight to increasing purses at our race tracks. Some estimates have that amount at $60 million. Other estimates have it at $73 million.
Many say the money is necessary to allow Kentucky to compete against race tracks in other states that have bigger purses. Flanery sys if we can compete with purses we can "keep horses and breeders here." Today we caught up with Governor Beshear. Beshear says while he can't predict what will happen with the plan during the special session, he says a "decision needs to be made on the issue."
And the numbers surrounding the issue seem to be all over the place. Edmunds says under the Governor's plan Kentuckians and tourists would need spend about $5 billion on gaming. Senate President David Williams says every Kentuckian over the age of 21 would have to spend $1,600 to provide the revenue the governor hopes to generate. Edmunds also says right now Kentuckians spend about $2 billion per year on all forms of gaming. However, Flanery says the $5 billion number is way too high and the real amount is much lower than that projection.
