Wagering on U.S. horse races continued to plunge in March of this year when compared with the same month last year, dropping nearly 10 percent, or $100 million, even as purses rose significantly because of takeout increases in California and new casino subsidies in Florida.

Wagering in March was $899.3 million, down from $998.7 million in March of last year, according to figures released on Monday by Equibase, continuing a long stream of month-to-month declines affecting horse racing. The decline was exacerbated in part by a 4.2 percent reduction in race days during the month.

An Ontario court ruled on Friday that a plan approved by shareholders of MI Developments earlier this week to cede the company’s racing assets to its chairman was "fair and reasonable," according to the company.

A 2.75 percent tax on purse winnings at New York tracks has been removed from the state’s budget negotiations, according to a representative of New York’s horsemen and another state official.

New York racing officials had lobbied hard to get the tax removed from the negotiations. The tax was initially proposed by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo as a way to raise additional funding for the New York State Racing and Wagering Board, which regulates racing and gambling in the state.

A bill that would allow the owner of Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course to use slot-machine subsidies for the tracks’ operating expenses passed in the Maryland House of Delegates on Monday and was sent to the Senate.

The Senate’s Budget and Taxation Committee was scheduled to consider the bill on Wednesday. The bill has the support of the state’s racing industry and Gov. Martin O’Malley, who first offered to allow the tracks to use the casino subsidy for operating expenses in an agreement brokered in December that would allow for 146 live racing dates at the two tracks in 2011.

Shareholders of MI Developments on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a plan that will allow its chairman and chief executive, Frank Stronach, to swap his supervoting shares for all of the company’s racing and gambling assets, including Santa Anita Park and Gulfstream Park.

The California Horse Racing Board is reviewing its licensing requirements for account-wagering companies that operate in the state after XpressBet notified several of its customers that their accounts could be terminated because of winning show wagers that resulted in financial liability to the company.

Television Games Network has fired approximately 20 workers, including several of its on-air commentators, as part of an effort to reduce costs, the company’s chief executive confirmed on Thursday.

Although company officials would not comment beyond a statement acknowledging the firings, the biographies of four television hosts – Bob Baedeker, Chris Kotulak, Frank Lyons, and Frank Mirahmadi – were no longer available on the company’s website on Thursday.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Churchill Downs Inc. announced Monday that Carl F. Pollard, the longtime chairman of the board, will retire June 16 in a move that has led to other impending changes in the hierarchy of the company.

Robert Evans, who has served as president and chief executive officer since August 2006, has been named to fill Pollard’s role when he retires. Evans will assume the title of chairman and chief executive officer.

Twinspires.com, the account-wagering operation owned by Churchill Downs Inc., retained its ability to take wagers from California residents after notifying state regulators on Friday that it had reached an agreement with California racetracks to carry their signals, officials for the company and the California Horse Racing Board said.

Agreements between racetracks rarely have across-the-board benefits for the racing industry these days, but just about everyone agrees there is no downside to recent deals that have restored all three Triple Crown races to one broadcast network.

The agreements between NBC and the three Triple Crown hosts -- Churchill Downs, Pimlico Race Course, and Belmont Park -- came in mid-February, and so the full financial benefits, such as an overall Triple Crown sponsor, probably won't be realized this year, with the first race of the Triple Crown just six weeks away.