Remington Park makes first payment to state

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Nine days after opening its new casino, Remington Park said it has paid the state $158,809. <br/><br/>``It has surpassed my projections,'' said Scott Wells, the track's general

Thursday, December 15th 2005, 5:46 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Nine days after opening its new casino, Remington Park said it has paid the state $158,809.

``It has surpassed my projections,'' said Scott Wells, the track's general manager.

The payment to the state means gamblers lost nearly $1.6 million, or an average of $176,455 a day, in the Oklahoma City track's 650 electronic machines.

A law passed by Oklahoma voters last year allowed three pari-mutuel racetracks to offer casino gambling.

Casinos at Blue Ribbon Downs at Sallisaw, which opened Oct. 17, and Will Rogers Downs' casino at Claremore, which opened last Friday, each are allowed 250 machines.

Blue Ribbon Downs has reported its November revenue to the state auditor's office, but that report won't be released until Friday.

Gaming officials for that track's owner, the Choctaw Nation, previously said revenue was far below expectations.

The ``racino'' law was intended to save Oklahoma's struggling horse racing industry while providing the state with revenue earmarked for education.

Wells said based on the first few days, both goals are being realized.

A curtain separates the track's casino from a huge window overlooking the racetrack. The curtain is lifted only on race nights.

When the curtain was raised Nov. 25 for the first time as horses were put in the gate, ``You heard this loud 'Wow!' It was a group pronouncement.

``It just gave me goose bumps, because that was just the effect I'd hoped we'd have,'' Wells said.

The state collects 10 percent of the first $30 million in ``net-win'' from each racetrack. Net-win is the amount left in a machine after winners are paid.

The Office of State Finance expects to receive $12.3 million a year from racetrack casinos, including $8.3 million from Remington Park.