A vote for table games is a vote to kill local horse racing. The percentages allocated to horsemen’s purses in the table games bill will effectively cut their purses and end jobs for local horsemen. The slots bill allocates $14 per $100 of earned revenue. The table games bill allocates 60 cents.

Penn National touts that millions will be added to purses, without factoring an estimated 40 percent decline in slots revenue due to competition from Maryland. In addition, studies show that table gabling cannibalizes slots play by about 10 percent. Together, these could mean a 50 percent decline in slots revenue. The paltry 60 cents from table games will hardly make up that loss.

The stark reality of what has has happened at Mountaineer Park should serve as a preview of things to come at Charles Town. Since table games were introduced at the northern racino two years ago, purses have been slashed 26 percent and races have been cut from ten to nine per day.

Will Penn National soon be requestion that the backside (horse stables) be closed at Charles Town? By writing races that favor out-of-state horses of local ones, are they positioning themselves to become a “ship-in” facility (shipping in out-of-state horses)? If so, it will kill the local horse industry.

Why do some horsemen seemingly support it?

I used to work at Charles Town Races and I would hate to see it close.

Vote “NO” on table games on Dec. 5.

Tamara Stenger

Jefferson County