Companion decoupling bill introduced to Florida Senate

A Florida state senator on Friday morning introduced companion legislation to a House bill that would allow Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., to decouple its racing and casino licenses as early as the summer of 2030.

The Senate bill, introduced by Sen. Nick DiCeglie, who represents an area surrounding St. Petersburg, contains most of the same language as the House bill, which was introduced late in December by an ally of Gulfstream Park. The bills would allow Gulfstream Park to give notice of its intention to cease living racing as early as mid-2027, provided racing continues for three years after the notice is given.

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Last year, similar legislation set off a protracted battle between Gulfstream and nearly every other Thoroughbred constituency in Florida. The legislation eventually died in the Senate after Fla. Gov. Ron DeSantis expressed his opposition to the bills.

The groups that opposed the effort last year have already mobilized to lobby against the new bills.

“We are prepared,” said Lonny Powell, the chief executive officer of the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association, which spearheaded last year’s lobbying effort. “Regardless of the confounding provisions, this is decoupling. Alongside our fellow horsemen, breeders, owners, trainers, and industry partners, we have defeated every decoupling attempt. [The two new bills] are the latest threats. They will not be the last. And like every threat before, we will oppose them.”

Gulfstream is located on extremely valuable land, and Thoroughbred constituencies have begun exploring the feasibility of alternate racing sites in Florida, including the construction of a new track in the Ocala area.

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