Brent Batten: Dog track owners aren't betting on sports book to be its salvation

At the risk of eliciting groans, don’t bet on legalized sports gambling coming to the Naples-Fort Myers Greyhound Track, or anywhere else in the state, anytime soon.

Monday’s U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down a federal ban on sports betting outside of Nevada and Delaware opens the way for states to legalize the activity.

But the Florida Legislature’s continuing inability to settle on a gambling package bodes poorly for any effort to add sports betting to the mix.

Plus, an amendment to the state’s constitution on the November ballot would give voters the sole say in adding additional casino operations in the state, making any expansion of gambling at places like the dog track even less likely.

That’s the assessment of Izzy Havenick, vice president for government relations at the track and other gambling operations his family owns.

As word of the Supreme Court decision spread Monday, many people thought it meant sports betting was now legal everywhere.

“You can’t believe the amount of congratulatory phone calls I got before people realized what actually happened,” Havenick said.

More:What it means: Supreme Court strikes down PASPA law that limited sports betting

States like New Jersey, which sought the reversal of the federal ban, and New York and Illinois will move ahead quickly with sports betting plans, Havenick predicts.

But history suggests Florida will move at a much slower pace. Again in this year’s legislative session, lawmakers were unable to agree on a comprehensive gaming bill that considers the interests of pari-mutuel facilities like racetracks and jai-alai frontons and the casinos operated by the Seminole and Miccosukee tribes.

A special session of the Legislature to deal with the matter was contemplated but never called.

Monday analysis:High court's move to lift sports gaming ban could change Florida's gambling debate

Previous Brent Batten column:Bonita dog track VP now turns focus to voters' say on gambling

If the Legislature does take up sports betting, it would have options, including allowing places like the tracks and casinos to take bets, or granting exclusivity to one or the other.

Havenick said sports betting would be another revenue source for the track, which struggles with the declining popularity and profitability of dog racing.

Typically, the house taking sports bets sets the point spread so that an equal amount of money is bet on both teams. The losers’ money is used to pay the winners, with the house taking about 5 percent of the amount that was bet, known as the vigorish.

In a legalized system, the house would pay a portion of its proceeds in taxes. Some estimates put the amount bet illegally on sports as high as $400 billion a year. If states got just 1 percent of that, it would be $4 billion to spread around. Quite the incentive for cash-strapped states to approve sports betting.  

“Sports betting isn’t as profitable as people think. But sports betting brings people and keeps people. If there’s a huge game on, people will stay and watch,” Havenick said, perhaps buying food and drinks and playing other games while they’re there.

With only dim hopes that sports betting or an expanded casino will provide a windfall for the track, Havenick’s family is moving ahead with plans to revamp the facility, perhaps maintain racing and poker, perhaps not.

The goal is to make it an entertainment destination offering more than just those two attractions.

Architects presented the family with conceptual drawings last week, but they were rejected.

“They were awful,” Havenick said. “We sent them back to the drawing board.

“They kind of tried to transform it into the wide world of sports. It just didn’t work,” Havenick said.

Since his father’s death in 2006, Havenick’s mother, Barbara Havenick, has assumed a more forceful role as matriarch of the family business. She was particularly displeased with the ideas presented.

“My mother’s using a lot more colorful language. She didn’t say it as nice as I said it to you,” he explained.

The family will stick with the design firm for at least the time being, hoping to have another set of drawings in a few weeks.

“They’ve got one more chance,” he said.

Connect with Brent Batten at brent.batten@naplesnews.com, on Twitter @NDN_BrentBatten and at facebook.com/ndnbrentbatten.