As widely expected by opponents, the Florida House of Representatives voted Friday evening to pass House Bill 1467, a broad gambling bill that includes a controversial provision pushed by The Stronach Group to decouple racing and gaming licenses. The bill passed by a 70-34 margin, just surpassing the two-thirds threshold needed to override a potential gubernatorial veto.
The decoupling provision would allow Gulfstream Park to separate its Thoroughbred racing operations from its slot-machine license — a move that many in the racing industry believe would eventually lead to the demise of horse racing in South Florida. Tampa Bay Downs would also be permitted to split its racing and card-room operations under the measure.
The House debate lasted just 38 minutes, centered largely on the decoupling issue. Republican representatives overwhelmingly supported the bill, voting 70-6 in favor of the measure, while all 28 Democrats who voted opposed it.
Despite Friday’s House passage, opponents of decoupling remain cautiously optimistic. They point to the Florida Senate, where the companion legislation, Senate Bill 1404, has not been amended to include decoupling language. Differences between the two versions of the bill would likely need to be resolved in a conference committee if the Senate passes its version without decoupling included.
Additionally, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has indicated strong opposition to any legislation that could harm the state’s Thoroughbred racing and breeding industries. Speaking at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales auction last week, DeSantis criticized the decoupling effort, calling it an attempt to benefit “one special interest” — a clear reference to The Stronach Group.
“On this issue with the horses, it seems to me they’re proposals that have the effect of harming the industry here in Florida to basically benefit one special interest,” DeSantis said. “That’s not how you do good policy.”
Damon Thayer, a former Kentucky state senator now working with the Thoroughbred Racing Initiative to defeat decoupling, expressed hope that DeSantis and the Senate would halt the legislation. “We will continue to rely on our friends in the Senate and Governor Ron DeSantis and hope that this bill goes no further in the final week of the legislative session,” Thayer said.
The broader bill passed by the House not only addresses decoupling but also introduces stricter enforcement of gaming laws and opens the door for daily fantasy sports operations in Florida.
As amended, the bill requires Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs to continue racing for a minimum of five more years before they could formally separate their racing and gaming licenses — a provision some see as a temporary safeguard, but critics argue it merely delays the inevitable.
With the Florida legislative session scheduled to end next Friday, the fate of decoupling will likely hinge on Senate action and, if necessary, a decision from DeSantis. Should the bill make it to the governor’s desk, the narrow margin in the House — 67.3% voting in favor, just 0.6% above the two-thirds threshold — could prove crucial if an override battle emerges.
For now, Thoroughbred racing stakeholders continue to lobby fiercely against the bill, warning that decoupling could permanently damage one of Florida’s signature industries.
