Capital Play hopes for VLT win

Though contentious negotiations over the fate of OTB in New York City have distracted government leaders and the public recently, the question of who will operate some 4,500 Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs) at Aqueduct Race Track in Ozone Park comes closer to being answered.
A report from the inspector general’s office on background checks for the three bidders, Capital Play LLC, Delaware North and SL Green is due at any moment, according to Morgan Hook, a spokesperson for Governor Paterson. “They’re assisting in the vetting process,” he said.
Paterson is also reported to have said that an analysis of each bidder’s projection of revenue for the state was, “Also due in a few days.”
Of the three, Capital Play, a partnership of Australia-based racing operators and the American Indian casino operator Mohegan Sun, has received strong support from several quarters, including Senator John Sabini, who is Paterson’s pick to head the state’s Racing and Wagering Board.
Sabini has publicly praised Capital Play’s proposal for Aqueduct.
Currently the ranking minority member of the Senate Racing & Wagering Committee, Sabini is quoted as saying he would be returning any remaining campaign funds he derived “from racing and gambling interests in New York.”
He reportedly had a fundraiser last year at Turning Stone Casino, a facility near Utica in upstate New York, operated by the Oneida Indian Nation. “I will be returning every penny,” Sabini is quoted as saying, “There will be no appearance of conflict.”
Capital Play offered to take over operations of OTB in the city, “but suspended negotiations with the city in light of the mayor’s decision to close them,” according to Karl J. O’Farrell, the group’s President and CEO. “We proposed to make the OTB locations more of a ‘destination’ by pairing them with dining and entertainment,” O’Farrell said, “Just as our proposal for Aqueduct would create a world-class entertainment experience and not just a gaming venue.”
O’Farrell made an extensive presentation on Capital Play’s proposal at The Courier’s offices recently, during which time he contrasted his group’s credentials with those of the other bidders.
“Racing in Australia isn’t just about betting, it’s an entertainment experience,” he said, explaining that their premier race, the “Victoria Cup” is broadcast to 140 countries. O’Farrell also pointed out that in Australia, 40 percent of the audience at their tracks are women.
He took exception with a competing proposal from Delaware North, which he characterized as “slots in a box.”
They “promised more money initially,” O’Farrell claimed, “but their plan for a ‘Racino’ only is not a great economic generator for the neighborhood.”
Capital Play’s proposal is for a phased-construction which would include name-brand restaurants, a food court, shopping and entertainment venues and a hotel with convention space.
“We don’t want just gambling,” he said. “We want people to spend the entertainment portion of their discretionary income with us,” he stressed, as he outlined the procedures they already employ to address the issue of problem gambling.
“We don’t want or need people’s rent money,” O’Farrell declared.
He pointed to another “destination” the group has been operating - Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs in Pennsylvania.
“We have strong testimonial support from local business and government there, as well as a proven record of good treatment of our employees” he said.
O’Farrell dismissed real estate giant SL Green’s proposal as a “copy” of their own and pointed out, “We have a winning team which has stayed together, because we produce superior results for ourselves, our visitors and the government.”
“Slots-in-a-box” just won’t work in here,” he declared. “New Yorkers are too sophisticated for that.”