Oldest US horse racing track Freehold Raceway to close in December
New Jersey’s Freehold Raceway expects will cease all live racing and simulcast operations.
US.- Freehold Raceway has announced that it expects to cease all live racing and simulcast operations on December 28. Located in the town of Freehold in central New Jersey, the racetrack was established in 1853.
Freehold officials are working with the New Jersey Racing Commission, state and local officials, and industry stakeholders on the closure. Severance will be paid to employees, including compensation as required by New Jersey’s Worker Adjustment and Retraining (WARN) Act and any applicable collective bargaining agreements.
The remainder of the approved live racing schedule for 2024 will be completed and daily simulcasting will continue until the closure date.
See also: Resorts Casino and Morris Bailey to start development project in New Jersey
General manager Howard Bruno said: “This was an extremely difficult decision, especially given the historical importance of Freehold Raceway to the local community and the New Jersey horse racing industry. Unfortunately, the operations of the racetrack cannot continue under existing conditions, and we do not see a plausible way forward. We are incredibly thankful for our dedicated employees, horsemen and fan base for their support and patronage for so many years.”
New Jersey gaming revenue reaches $551.1m in August
The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement has reported figures for August. The state’s casinos and horse tracks that offer sports betting reported $555.1m in gaming revenue, up 4.4 per cent from August 2023. Online gambling revenue reached a new monthly record of $198.4m, up 27.8 per cent year-on-year.
Land-based gambling revenue was $294m, an increase of 4.9 per cent from August 2023. However, six of the nine Atlantic City casinos won less from land-based gambling than before the pandemic. Only Borgata, Hard Rock and Ocean won more from in-person gamblers than they did in August 2019.
