(A) Except as otherwise provided in this section, no permit shall be issued under sections 3769.01 to 3769.14 of the Revised Code, authorizing the conduct of a live racing program for thoroughbred horses and quarter horses at any place, track, or enclosure except between the hours of twelve noon and seven p.m., for running horse-racing meetings, except that on special events days running horse-racing meetings may begin at nine a.m. by application to the state racing commission and except that the seven p.m. time may be extended to eight p.m. on a Sunday or holiday by application to the commission, and no permit shall be issued under those sections authorizing the conduct of a live racing program for harness horses at any place, track, or enclosure except between the hours of twelve noon and twelve midnight for light harness horse-racing meetings. The seven p.m. and eight p.m. closing times described in this section shall upon application to the commission be extended to nine p.m. for any running horse-racing meeting conducted between the fifteenth day of May and the fifteenth day of September at a track that is located more than twenty-five miles from a track located in this state where a light harness horse-racing meeting, other than a light harness horse-racing meeting at a county fair or independent fair, is being conducted and that is located less than twenty-five miles from a track located outside this state. A permit issued for horse racing at a county fair shall authorize live horse racing to begin at nine a.m.

(B) No permit shall be granted for the holding or conducting of a horse-racing meeting after the tenth day of December in any calendar year, except for racing at winterized tracks. "Winterized track" means a track with enclosed club house or grandstand, all-weather racing track, heated facilities for jockeys or drivers, backstretch facilities that are properly prepared for winter racing, and adequate snow removal equipment available.

(C) No permit shall be issued for more than an aggregate of fifty-six racing days in any one calendar year, except that an additional five days of racing may be approved by the commission upon application by a permit holder and except that an additional thirty days of racing may be granted for racing at any time after the fifteenth day of October and prior to the fifteenth day of March to a permit holder who has a winterized facility, but no more than thirty such additional days may be issued at any one track or enclosure. No more than an aggregate of fifty-six racing days shall be issued in any one calendar year for any one race track, place, or enclosure, except for the additional five days of racing for each permit holder which may be approved by the commission pursuant to this section, except as provided in sections 3769.071 and 3769.13 of the Revised Code, except for racing days granted as a result of a winterized facility, and except that the commission may issue a second permit for a maximum of fifty-six racing days for any one track, place, or enclosure, if the commission determines that the issuance of such second permit is not against the public interest. No such second permit shall be issued:

(1) For the operation of racing in any county with a population of less than seven hundred thousand or for the operation of racing in any county which has more than one race track at which a racing meet has been authorized, except as provided in this division and in sections 3769.071 and 3769.13 of the Revised Code, in the same year by the commission. A second permit issued pursuant to this division may be issued at either or both race tracks in a county that has only two race tracks if a racing meet has been authorized at both race tracks in the same year by the commission and one race track has been authorized to conduct thoroughbred racing meets and the other race track has been authorized to conduct harness racing meets. When such second permit is issued pursuant to this division for racing at the one race track, racing shall not be conducted at that race track on the same day that racing is conducted at the other race track in the county except by mutual agreement of the two race tracks.

(2) To any corporation having one or more shareholders owning an interest in any other permit issued by the commission for the operation of racing, in the same year, at any other race track, place, or enclosure in this state;

(3) To any person, association, or trust which owns, or which has any members owning, an interest in any other permit issued by the commission for the operation of racing, in the same year, at any other race track, place, or enclosure in this state.

(D) No permit shall be issued so as to permit live racing programs on the same hour at more than one track in one county or on tracks in operation in 1975 within fifty miles of each other, nor shall any other form of pari-mutuel wagering other than horse racing be permitted within seventy-five miles of a track where horse racing is being conducted, except that this provision shall not apply to a horse-racing meeting held at the state fair or at a fair conducted by a county agricultural society or at a fair conducted by an independent agricultural society. Distribution of days shall not apply to fairs or horse shows not required to secure a permit under such section.

(E) Notwithstanding any contrary provision of The Revised Code:

(1) No person or entity shall be issued permits to conduct horse-racing meetings at more than two facilities in this state at any one time.

(2) No person or entity shall be issued permits to conduct thoroughbred horse-racing meetings at more than one facility in this state at any one time.

(3) No person or entity shall be a management company for persons or entities that have been issued permits to conduct horse-racing meetings at more than two facilities in this state at any one time.

(4) A person or entity is not prohibited from owning more than two facilities in this state at which horse-racing meetings are conducted, so long as the person or entity is not in violation of division (E)(1), (2), or (3) of this section.

(F) A permit, granted under sections 3769.01 to 3769.14 of the Revised Code, shall be conspicuously displayed during the horse-racing meeting in the principal office at such race track and at all reasonable times shall be exhibited to any authorized person requesting to see the same.

Amended by 133rd General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 166, §101.01, eff. 10/17/2019.

Effective Date: 09-19-1996; 2007 HB177 10-25-2007 .