A spokesman from Louisiana Governor M.J. "Mike" Foster's office informed IGN yesterday that the Governor intended to veto House Bill 85, a measure that legalizes account wagering on races at Fair Grounds Race Course. We've since learned that the bill went unsigned and will become a law this summer.
HB 85, which enables Fair Grounds to accept wagers over the Internet, is one of four gambling measures to see their destinations fulfilled this session. Three of the four--HB 85 and two bills paving the way for slot machines at racetracks in Lake Charles and Shreveport--have gone unsigned and the other--a bill regarding the licensing of Louisiana owners and trainers--was vetoed. "I wasn't very enthusiastic about them," Governor Foster told the Times-Picayune. "But I think the people in those areas wanted them."
Fair Grounds President and General Manager Bryan Krantz has already indicated that the track intends to implement an Internet wagering service, something IGN will cover more extensively in coming weeks.
HB 85 will become a law on June 6.