Sabini resigning as chairman of New York State Racing and Wagering Board

John Sabini will resign his post as chairman of the New York State Racing and Wagering Board effective Friday, a spokesman for the board confirmed Wednesday.

The news, first reported Tuesday by the Albany Times Union, comes three weeks before the NYSRWB is to be merged with and work under a new state gaming commission. The three-member NYSRWB will be replaced by a seven-member board with an unsalaried chairman. As chairman, Sabini earned $120,800 annually, according to the Times Union.

“He’s retiring prior to that to work in the private sector,” said Lee Park, a spokesman for the NYSRWB.

According to the Times Union, Sabini will open a public affairs lobbying office that will serve both Albany and Washington, D.C.

Sabini, a former New York state senator, was appointed chairman of the Racing and Wagering Board in August 2008.