(1) Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter to the contrary, there is hereby created a special thoroughbred race meet which shall be designated as the “Breeders’ Cup Meet.” The Breeders’ Cup Meet shall be conducted at the facility of the Florida permitholder selected by Breeders’ Cup Limited to conduct the Breeders’ Cup Meet. The Breeders’ Cup Meet shall consist of 3 days: the day on which the Breeders’ Cup races are conducted, the preceding day, and the subsequent day. Upon the selection of the Florida permitholder as host for the Breeders’ Cup Meet and application by the selected permitholder, the division shall issue a license to the selected permitholder to operate the Breeders’ Cup Meet. Notwithstanding s. 550.09515(2)(a), the Breeders’ Cup Meet may be conducted on dates which the selected permitholder is not otherwise authorized to conduct a race meet.
(2) The permitholder conducting the Breeders’ Cup Meet is specifically authorized to create pari-mutuel pools during the Breeders’ Cup Meet by accepting pari-mutuel wagers on the thoroughbred horse races run during said meet.
(3) If the permitholder conducting the Breeders’ Cup Meet is located within 35 miles of one or more permitholders scheduled to conduct a thoroughbred race meet on any of the 3 days of the Breeders’ Cup Meet, then operation on any of those 3 days by the other permitholders is prohibited. As compensation for the loss of racing days caused thereby, such operating permitholders shall receive a credit against the taxes otherwise due and payable to the state under ss. 550.0951 and 550.09515. This credit shall be in an amount equal to the operating loss determined to have been suffered by the operating permitholders as a result of not operating on the prohibited racing days, but shall not exceed a total of $950,000. The determination of the amount to be credited shall be made by the division upon application by the operating permitholder. The tax credits provided in this subsection shall not be available unless an operating permitholder is required to close a bona fide meet consisting in part of no fewer than 10 scheduled performances in the 15 days immediately preceding or 10 scheduled performances in the 15 days immediately following the Breeders’ Cup Meet. Such tax credit shall be in lieu of any other compensation or consideration for the loss of racing days. There shall be no replacement or makeup of any lost racing days.
(4) Notwithstanding any provision of ss. 550.0951 and 550.09515, the permitholder conducting the Breeders’ Cup Meet shall pay no taxes on the handle included within the pari-mutuel pools of said permitholder during the Breeders’ Cup Meet.
(5) The permitholder conducting the Breeders’ Cup Meet shall receive a credit against the taxes otherwise due and payable to the state under ss. 550.0951 and 550.09515 generated during said permitholder’s next ensuing regular thoroughbred race meet. This credit shall be in an amount not to exceed $950,000 and shall be utilized by the permitholder to pay the purses offered by the permitholder during the Breeders’ Cup Meet in excess of the purses which the permitholder is otherwise required by law to pay. The amount to be credited shall be determined by the division upon application of the permitholder which is subject to audit by the division.
(6) The permitholder conducting the Breeders’ Cup Meet shall receive a credit against the taxes otherwise due and payable to the state under ss. 550.0951 and 550.09515 generated during said permitholder’s next ensuing regular thoroughbred race meet. This credit shall be in an amount not to exceed $950,000 and shall be utilized by the permitholder for such capital improvements and extraordinary expenses as may be necessary for operation of the Breeders’ Cup Meet. The amount to be credited shall be determined by the division upon application of the permitholder which is subject to audit by the division.
(7) The permitholder conducting the Breeders’ Cup Meet shall be exempt from the payment of purses and other payments to horsemen on all on-track, intertrack, interstate, and international wagers or rights fees or payments arising therefrom for all races for which the purse is paid or supplied by Breeders’ Cup Limited. The permitholder conducting the Breeders’ Cup Meet shall not, however, be exempt from breeders’ awards payments for on-track and intertrack wagers as provided in ss. 550.2625(3) and 550.625(2)(a) for races in which the purse is paid or supplied by Breeders’ Cup Limited.
(8)(a) Pursuant to s. 550.3551(2), the permitholder conducting the Breeders’ Cup Meet is authorized to transmit broadcasts of the races conducted during the Breeders’ Cup Meet to locations outside of this state for wagering purposes. The division may approve broadcasts to pari-mutuel permitholders and other betting systems authorized under the laws of any other state or country. Wagers accepted by any out-of-state pari-mutuel permitholder or betting system on any races broadcast under this section may be, but are not required to be, commingled with the pari-mutuel pools of the permitholder conducting the Breeders’ Cup Meet. The calculation of any payoff on national pari-mutuel pools with commingled wagers may be performed by the permitholder’s totalisator contractor at a location outside of this state. Pool amounts from wagers placed at pari-mutuel facilities or other betting systems in foreign countries before being commingled with the pari-mutuel pool of the Florida permitholder conducting the Breeders’ Cup Meet shall be calculated by the totalisator contractor and transferred to the commingled pool in United States currency in cycles customarily used by the permitholder. Pool amounts from wagers placed at any foreign pari-mutuel facility or other betting system shall not be commingled with a Florida pool until a determination is made by the division that the technology utilized by the totalisator contractor is adequate to assure commingled pools will result in the calculation of accurate payoffs to Florida bettors. Any totalisator contractor at a location outside of this state shall comply with the provisions of s. 550.495 relating to totalisator licensing.
(b) The permitholder conducting the Breeders’ Cup Meet is authorized to transmit broadcasts of the races conducted during the Breeders’ Cup Meet to other pari-mutuel facilities located in this state for wagering purposes; however, the permitholder conducting the Breeders’ Cup Meet shall not be required to transmit broadcasts to any pari-mutuel facility located within 25 miles of the facility at which the Breeders’ Cup Meet is conducted.
(9) The exemption from the tax credits provided in subsections (5) and (6) shall not be granted and shall not be claimed by the permitholder until an audit is completed by the division. The division is required to complete the audit within 30 days of receipt of the necessary documentation from the permitholder to verify the permitholder’s claim for tax credits. If the documentation submitted by the permitholder is incomplete or is insufficient to document the permitholder’s claim for tax credits, the division may request such additional documentation as is necessary to complete the audit. Upon receipt of the division’s written request for additional documentation, the 30-day time limitation will commence anew.
(10) The division is authorized to adopt such rules as are necessary to facilitate the conduct of the Breeders’ Cup Meet as authorized in this section. Included within this grant of authority shall be the adoption or waiver of rules regarding the overall conduct of racing during the Breeders’ Cup Meet so as to ensure the integrity of the races, licensing for all participants, special stabling and training requirements for foreign horses, commingling of pari-mutuel pools, and audit requirements for tax credits and other benefits.
(11) Any dispute between the division and any permitholder regarding the tax credits authorized under subsection (3), subsection (5), or subsection (6) shall be determined by a hearing officer of the Division of Administrative Hearings under the provisions of s. 120.57(1).
(12) The provisions of this section shall prevail over any conflicting provisions of this chapter.
History.—s. 3, ch. 93-123; s. 11, ch. 96-364; s. 19, ch. 2000-354.