(1) The Legislature finds that the operation of harness tracks and legalized pari-mutuel and mutuel betting at harness tracks in this state will become a substantial business compatible with the best interests of the state, and the taxes derived therefrom will constitute an important and integral part of the tax structure of the state and counties. The Legislature further finds that the operation of harness tracks within the state will establish and encourage the acquisition and maintenance of breeding farms for the breeding of standardbred horses used in harness races, and that this exhibition sport will attract a large tourist business to the state.
(2) Any permittee or licensee authorized under this section to transfer the location of its permit may conduct harness racing only between the hours of 7 p.m. and 2 a.m. A permit so transferred applies only to the locations provided in this section. The provisions of this chapter which prohibit the location and operation of a licensed harness track permittee and licensee within 100 air miles of the location of a racetrack authorized to conduct racing under this chapter and which prohibit the commission from granting any permit to a harness track at a location in the area in which there are three horse tracks located within 100 air miles thereof do not apply to a licensed harness track that is required by the terms of this section to race between the hours of 7 p.m. and 2 a.m.
(3) A permit may not be issued by the commission for the operation of a harness track within 75 air miles of a location of a harness track licensed and operating under this chapter.
(4) The permitholder conducting a harness horse race meet must pay the daily license fee, the admission tax, the tax on breaks, and the tax on pari-mutuel handle provided in s. 550.0951 and is subject to all penalties and sanctions provided in s. 550.0951(6).
(5) Each licensed harness track in the state must schedule an average of one race per racing day in which horses bred in this state and duly registered as standardbred harness horses have preference as entries over non-Florida-bred horses. All licensed harness tracks must write the conditions for such races in which Florida-bred horses are preferred so as to assure that all Florida-bred horses available for racing at such tracks are given full opportunity to perform in the class races for which they are qualified, and the opportunity of performing must be afforded to each class of horses in the proportion that the number of horses in this class bears to the total number of Florida-bred horses available. However, a track is not required to write conditions for a race to accommodate a class of horses for which a race would otherwise not be scheduled at such track during its meeting.
(6) If a permit has been transferred from a county under this section, no other transfer is permitted from such county.
History.—s. 42, ch. 92-348; s. 56, ch. 2000-154; s. 38, ch. 2022-7.
Structure Florida Statutes
Title XXXIII - Regulation of Trade, Commerce, Investments, and Solicitations
Chapter 550 - Pari-Mutuel Wagering
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.
550.125 - Uniform Reporting System; Bond Requirement.
550.135 - Division of Moneys Derived Under This Law.
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.
550.2415 - 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.
550.2625 - Horseracing; Minimum Purse Requirement, Florida Breeders’ and Owners’ Awards.
550.2633 - Horseracing; Distribution of Abandoned Interest in or Contributions to Pari-Mutuel Pools.
550.2704 - Jai Alai Tournament of Champions Meet.
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.
550.3616 - 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.
550.6345 - Intertrack Wagering; Purses When Host Track Is Harness Racetrack.
550.71 - Operation of Ch. 96-364.
550.901 - Interstate Compact on Licensure of Participants in Pari-Mutuel Wagering.
550.903 - Definitions; Interstate Compact on Licensure of Participants in Pari-Mutuel Wagering.
550.905 - States Eligible to Join Compact.
550.906 - Withdrawal From Compact; Impact on Force and Effect.
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.