Florida Statutes
Chapter 550 - Pari-Mutuel Wagering
550.09512 - Harness Horse Taxes; Abandoned Interest in a Permit for Nonpayment of Taxes.


(1) Pari-mutuel wagering at harness horse racetracks in this state is an important business enterprise, and taxes derived therefrom constitute a part of the tax structure which funds operation of the state. Harness horse permitholders should pay their fair share of these taxes to the state. This business interest should not be taxed to such an extent as to cause any racetrack which is operated under sound business principles to be forced out of business. Due to the need to protect the public health, safety, and welfare, the gaming laws of the state provide for the harness horse industry to be highly regulated and taxed. The state recognizes that there exist identifiable differences between harness horse permitholders based upon their ability to operate under such regulation and tax system.

(2)(a) The tax on handle for live harness horse performances is 0.5 percent of handle per performance.
(b) For purposes of this section, the term “handle” shall have the same meaning as in s. 550.0951, and shall not include handle from intertrack wagering.


(3)(a) The permit of a harness horse permitholder who is conducting live harness horse performances and who does not pay tax on handle for any such performances conducted during any 2 consecutive state fiscal years shall be void and may not be reissued unless such failure to operate and pay tax on handle was the direct result of fire, strike, war, hurricane, pandemic, or other disaster or event beyond the ability of the permitholder to control. Financial hardship to the permitholder shall not, in and of itself, constitute just cause for failure to operate and pay tax on handle.
(b) In order to maximize the tax revenues to the state, the commission shall reissue an escheated harness horse permit to a qualified applicant pursuant to the provisions of this chapter as for the issuance of an initial permit. However, the provisions of this chapter relating to referendum requirements for a pari-mutuel permit shall not apply to the reissuance of an escheated harness horse permit. As specified in the application and upon approval by the commission of an application for the permit, the new permitholder shall be authorized to operate a harness horse facility anywhere in the same county in which the escheated permit was authorized to be operated, notwithstanding the provisions of s. 550.054(2) relating to mileage limitations.

(4) In the event that a court of competent jurisdiction determines any of the provisions of this section to be unconstitutional, it is the intent of the Legislature that the provisions contained in this section shall be null and void and that the provisions of s. 550.0951 shall apply to all harness horse permitholders beginning on the date of such judicial determination. To this end, the Legislature declares that it would not have enacted any of the provisions of this section individually and, to that end, expressly finds them not to be severable.
History.—s. 1, ch. 93-288; s. 2, ch. 98-217; s. 15, ch. 2000-354; s. 11, ch. 2021-271; s. 17, ch. 2022-7.

Structure Florida Statutes

Florida Statutes

Title XXXIII - Regulation of Trade, Commerce, Investments, and Solicitations

Chapter 550 - Pari-Mutuel Wagering

550.001 - Short Title.

550.002 - Definitions.

550.0115 - Permitholder Operating License.

550.01215 - License Application; Periods of Operation; License Fees; Bond.

550.0235 - Limitation of Civil Liability.

550.0251 - Powers and Duties of the Florida Gaming Control Commission.

550.0351 - Charity Racing Days.

550.0425 - Minors Attendance at Pari-Mutuel Performances; Restrictions.

550.054 - Application for Permit to Conduct Pari-Mutuel Wagering.

550.0555 - Greyhound Dogracing Permits; Relocation Within a County; Conditions.

550.0651 - Elections for Ratification of Permits; Municipal Prohibitions.

550.0745 - Summer Jai Alai Permit Periods of Operation.

550.0951 - Payment of Daily License Fee and Taxes; Penalties.

550.09511 - Jai Alai Taxes; Abandoned Interest in a Permit for Nonpayment of Taxes.

550.09512 - Harness Horse Taxes; Abandoned Interest in a Permit for Nonpayment of Taxes.

550.09514 - Greyhound Dogracing Taxes; Purse Requirements.

550.09515 - Thoroughbred Horse Taxes; Abandoned Interest in a Permit for Nonpayment of Taxes.

550.105 - Occupational Licenses of Racetrack Employees; Fees; Denial, Suspension, and Revocation of License; Penalties and Fines.

550.1155 - Authority of Stewards, Judges, Panel of Judges, or Player’s Manager to Impose Penalties Against Occupational Licensees; Disposition of Funds Collected.

550.125 - Uniform Reporting System; Bond Requirement.

550.135 - Division of Moneys Derived Under This Law.

550.155 - Pari-Mutuel Pool Within Track Enclosure; Takeouts; Breaks; Penalty for Purchasing Part of a Pari-Mutuel Pool for or Through Another in Specified Circumstances.

550.1625 - Dogracing; Taxes.

550.1645 - Escheat to State of Abandoned Interest in or Contribution to Pari-Mutuel Pools.

550.1646 - Credit for Unclaimed Property Remitted to State.

550.1647 - Greyhound Permitholders; Unclaimed Tickets; Breaks.

550.175 - Petition for Election to Revoke Permit.

550.1815 - Certain Persons Prohibited From Holding Racing or Jai Alai Permits; Suspension and Revocation.

550.235 - Conniving to Prearrange Result of Race or Jai Alai Game; Using Medication or Drugs on Horse or Dog; Penalty.

550.24055 - Use of Controlled Substances or Alcohol Prohibited; Testing of Certain Occupational Licensees; Penalty; Evidence of Test or Action Taken and Admissibility for Criminal Prosecution Limited.

550.2415 - Racing of Animals Under Certain Conditions Prohibited; Penalties; Exceptions.

550.255 - Penalty for Conducting Unauthorized Race Meeting.

550.2614 - Distribution of Certain Funds to a Horsemen’s Association.

550.26165 - Breeders’ Awards.

550.2625 - Horseracing; Minimum Purse Requirement, Florida Breeders’ and Owners’ Awards.

550.2633 - Horseracing; Distribution of Abandoned Interest in or Contributions to Pari-Mutuel Pools.

550.26352 - Breeders’ Cup Meet; Pools Authorized; Conflicts; Taxes; Credits; Transmission of Races; Rules; Application.

550.2704 - Jai Alai Tournament of Champions Meet.

550.285 - Obtaining Feed or Other Supplies for Racehorses or Greyhound Racing Dogs With Intent to Defraud.

550.334 - Quarter Horse Racing; Substitutions.

550.3345 - Conversion of Quarter Horse Permit to a Limited Thoroughbred Permit.

550.3355 - Harness Track Licenses for Summer Quarter Horse Racing.

550.3551 - Transmission of Racing and Jai Alai Information; Commingling of Pari-Mutuel Pools.

550.3615 - Bookmaking on the Grounds of a Permitholder; Penalties; Reinstatement; Duties of Track Employees; Penalty; Exceptions.

550.3616 - Racing Greyhounds or Other Dogs Prohibited; Penalty.

550.375 - Operation of Certain Harness Tracks.

550.475 - Lease of Pari-Mutuel Facilities by Pari-Mutuel Permitholders.

550.495 - Totalisator Licensing.

550.505 - Nonwagering Permits.

550.5251 - Florida Thoroughbred Racing; Certain Permits; Operating Days.

550.615 - Intertrack Wagering.

550.625 - Intertrack Wagering; Purses; Breeders’ Awards.

550.6305 - Intertrack Wagering; Guest Track Payments; Accounting Rules.

550.6308 - Limited Intertrack Wagering License.

550.6315 - Applicability of S. 565.02(5) to Guest Tracks.

550.6325 - Uncashed Tickets and Breakage Tax.

550.6335 - Surcharge.

550.6345 - Intertrack Wagering; Purses When Host Track Is Harness Racetrack.

550.70 - Jai Alai General Provisions; Chief Court Judges Required; Extension of Time to Construct Fronton; Amateur Jai Alai Contests Permitted Under Certain Conditions; Playing Days’ Limitations; Locking of Pari-Mutuel Machines.

550.71 - Operation of Ch. 96-364.

550.901 - Interstate Compact on Licensure of Participants in Pari-Mutuel Wagering.

550.902 - Purposes.

550.903 - Definitions; Interstate Compact on Licensure of Participants in Pari-Mutuel Wagering.

550.904 - Entry Into Force.

550.905 - States Eligible to Join Compact.

550.906 - Withdrawal From Compact; Impact on Force and Effect.

550.907 - Compact Committee.

550.908 - Powers and Duties of Compact Committee.

550.909 - Voting Requirements.

550.910 - Administration and Management.

550.911 - Immunity From Liability for Performance of Official Responsibilities and Duties.

550.912 - Rights and Responsibilities of Each Party State.

550.913 - Construction and Severability.