Yonkers Raceway horsemen are demanding $13.4m from Empire Resorts-owned Monticello Raceway Management for allegedly violating a New York State tax law.

lost business at Yonkers Raceway and nearby Empire City Casino

The Standardbred Owners Association of NY (SOANY) filed a complaint on July 30 in Westchester Supreme Court against Monticello’s Resorts World Hudson Valley Casino in Newburgh. SOANY argues that Monticello is required to compensate the Yonkers harness racing drivers, trainers, and owners for lost business at Yonkers Raceway and nearby Empire City Casino.

The complaint states that the Resorts World venue “causes a reduction in gambling revenue at Empire City Casino […] which in turn causes a reduction in the amount paid to the Yonkers Raceway horsemen.”

According to Westfair Business Journal, the complaint centers on the portion of horse races bets, or purse, disbursed to the competitors. In granting Resorts World a license for video lottery gaming in Newburgh, New York State added a condition aimed at countering the potential cannibalization of gamblers “43 miles away at Yonkers Raceway and Empire City Casino.”

The condition is Monticello’s requirement to “account for the difference between the Yonkers Raceway purse in 2018 and now, plus inflation.”

Resorts World generated over $1bn in wagering revenue in its first year of operations in 2023. According to the complaint, however, the purse at Yonkers Raceway was $50.8m in 2023, down by over $2.1m from 2018.

Factoring in a $11.3m purse adjustment for inflation, SOANY calculated that Monticello needs to pony up $13.4m to the horsemen.