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Chester Downs is a race track and casino located only 20 miles from Philadelphia.  Many patrons still come for the racino’s initial draw of simulcast races; as many as 200 bettors each day gather to place wagers and shot at television screens.

However, above the simulcast floor are the real money makers; the slot machines.  Chester Downs offers 2,700 slot machines and video poker machines.  The slot machines are operating all day everyday, 365/24/7.  The racino makes most of its revenue off of the slot machines. 

Slot machines have become the life line of the horse racing industry.  It is believed that the industry would die without slot machines as they now fund attractive purses for big races as well as support the horse breeding trade.

If the tracks do not already have them, many of the states in the Northeast are pushing to operate slot machines.  New Jersey is expected to be next in line.  The state itself desperately needs the tax revenues that come from slots.  Traditionally the casinos in New Jersey of fought to keep slot machines out of the state’s racetracks, but in this failing economy, the casinos will not have the financial power to make the bribes they used to offer.

Tracks and casinos in New Jersey have fought over slot machines for years now.  Many are now expecting that battle to come to rest as the governor has commission a panel to study the effects of slots at race tracks and to provide a recommendation to the legislation as to how the state should proceed with gambling expansion. 

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