The state racing commission shall prescribe the rules and conditions under which horse racing may be conducted and may issue, deny, suspend, diminish, or revoke permits to conduct horse racing as authorized by sections 3769.01 to 3769.14 of the Revised Code. The commission may impose, in addition to any other penalty imposed by the commission, fines in an amount not to exceed ten thousand dollars on any permit holder or any other person who violates the rules or orders of the commission. The commission may prescribe the forms of wagering that are permissible, the number of races, the procedures on wagering, and the wagering information to be provided to the public.

The commission may require totalizator equipment to display the amount of wagering in each wagering pool. The commission shall initiate safeguards as necessary to account for the amount of money wagered at each track in each wagering pool. It may require permit holders to install equipment that will provide a complete check and analysis of the functioning of any computers and require safeguards on their performance. The commission shall require all permit holders, except those holding state fair, county fair, or other fair permits, to provide a photographic recording, approved by the commission, of the entire running of all races conducted by the permit holder.

The state racing commission may issue, deny, suspend, or revoke licenses to those persons engaged in racing and to those employees of permit holders as is in the public interest for the purpose of maintaining a proper control over horse-racing meetings. The commission, as is in the public interest for the purpose of maintaining proper control over horse-racing meetings, also may rule any person off a permit holder's premises. License fees shall include registration fees and shall be set by the commission. Each license issued by the commission, unless revoked for cause, shall be for the period of one year from the first day of January of the year in which it is issued, except as otherwise provided in section 3769.07 of the Revised Code. Applicants for licenses issued by the commission shall submit their fingerprints to the commission, and the commission may forward the fingerprints to the federal bureau of investigation or to any other agency, or to both, for examination.

There is hereby created in the state treasury the state racing commission operating fund. All license fees established and collected by the commission pursuant to this section, and the amounts specified in divisions (B) and (C) of section 3769.08 and division (A)(5) of section 3769.087 of the Revised Code, shall be paid into the state treasury to the credit of the fund. Moneys in the fund shall be expended by the commission to defray its operating costs, salaries and expenses, and the cost of administering and enforcing this chapter.

The commission may deny a permit to any permit holder that has defaulted in payments to the public, employees, or the horsemen and may deny a permit to any successor purchaser of a track for as long as any of those defaults have not been satisfied by either the seller or purchaser.

The commission shall deny a permit to any permit holder that has defaulted in payments to the state or has defaulted in payments required under section 3769.089 or 3769.0810 of the Revised Code and shall deny a permit to any successor purchaser of a track for as long as those defaults have not been satisfied by either the seller or purchaser.

Any violation of this chapter, of any rule of racing adopted by the commission, or of any law or rule with respect to racing in any jurisdiction shall be sufficient reason for a refusal to issue a license, or a suspension or revocation of any license issued, pursuant to this section.

With respect to the issuance, denial, suspension, or revocation of a license to a participant in horse racing, the action of the commission shall be subject to Chapter 119. of the Revised Code.

The commission may sue and be sued in its own name. Any action against the commission shall be brought in the court of common pleas of Franklin county. Any appeal from a determination or decision of the commission rendered in the exercise of its powers and duties under this chapter shall be brought in the court of common pleas of Franklin county.

The commission, biennially, shall make a full report to the governor of its proceedings for the two-year period ending with the thirty-first day of December preceding the convening of the general assembly and shall include its recommendations in the report. The commission, semiannually, on the thirtieth day of June and on the thirty-first day of December of each year, shall make a report and accounting to the governor.

Amended by 131st General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 64, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2015, applicable 1/1/2016.

Effective Date: 09-24-1999 .

Related Legislative Provision: See 131st General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 64, §803.210.