New York to ban teller bets

The New York State Racing and Wagering Board approved a rule on Tuesday that would prohibit parimutuel tellers from placing any wagers while on duty at a racetrack.

New York had previously prohibited tellers at Thoroughbred racetracks from placing bets on races held at the track where they were working. The new rule will prohibit tellers from placing bets on any race, including simulcasts.

In 2003, almost two dozen parimutuel tellers working at the racetracks operated by the New York Racing Association pleaded guilty to tax fraud charges related to shortages in their betting boxes. The charges led to NYRA accepting a deferred prosecution agreement that required the association to pay a $3 million fine and submit to an 18-month review by a federally appointed oversight company.

The board on Tuesday also approved a permanent rule that establishes testing procedures and penalties for the presence of excess alkalizing agents, the signature of the banned practice known as "milkshaking" in which horses are tube-fed a concoction of sodium bicarbonate, sugar, and other substances.

NYRA began testing for excess carbon dioxide under a house rule since 2005. The state passed an emergency rule a year later.