OTB chooses Belmont for new gambling facility

Racetrack “best possible site” to house video lottery terminals, says Nassau OTB

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Nassau County Off-Track Betting announced last week its intention to house a 100,000-square-foot video lottery terminal facility on the western portion of the grandstand at the 430-acre Belmont Park.

According to a statement released by OTB on Dec. 29, the decision on Belmont came “after exhaustive study and review.” Union Gaming, an investment banking and advisory firm focused on the gaming industry, was hired by OTB to advise it on the selection process. Based on the recommendations by the group, OTB came to the conclusion that Belmont was “the best possible site.”

The decision on the location has not been smooth, as OTB had originally chosen the Fortunoff building in Westbury as the location for the gaming facility.

“The property was for sale, and that seemed like the more logical site,” said OTB spokesman David Chauvin. “This was a private deal that we could do with the property owner.”

That plan met with fierce opposition from local lawmakers and residents, and OTB was forced to abandon that location.

Last month, the New York State Empire Development agency removed parcel A, the lot on the north side of Hempstead Turnpike on the Belmont property, as a potential location for developers.

According to the OTB statement, officials are working with County Executive Ed Mangano to “ensure that Nassau County and the local communities receive increased benefits from this enhancement.” Mangano has allotted $20 million in gambling revenue in the 2016 budget for Nassau County.

“… The next step is to further discussions with local legislators and OTB to create a community benefits program that keeps property taxes down,” Mangano said in a statement. A benefit of this location, he said, is job creation and “providing residents with a local entertainment option that keeps their dollars invested locally.”

Certain expenditures are required in the county budget by state and federal mandates such as public safety and union contracts. As a result, cuts come from discretionary spending, such as youth services. Without the $20 million in gambling revenue, the county would have to find alternate ways to generate revenue or services would have to be cut, Chauvin said.

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