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SENATE BILL 513
57TH LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - FIRST SESSION, 2025
INTRODUCED BY
Linda M. López
AN ACT
RELATING TO HORSE RACING; AMENDING THE TIME FRAME FOR THE
NUMBER OF LIVE RACE DAYS NECESSARY FOR A RACETRACK TO MAINTAIN
A GAMING OPERATOR'S LICENSE; ESTABLISHING A RACE MEET MINIMUM
LENGTH OF TIME.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
SECTION 1. Section 60-1A-2 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2007,
Chapter 39, Section 2) is amended to read:
"60-1A-2. DEFINITIONS.--As used in the Horse Racing Act:
A. "board" means the gaming control board;
B. "breakage" means the odd cents by which the
amount payable on each dollar wagered exceeds a multiple of
ten;
C. "commission" means the state racing commission;
D. "exotic wagering" means all wagering other than
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on win, place or show, through pari-mutuel wagering;
E. "export" means to send a live audiovisual
broadcast of a horse race in the process of being run at a
horse racetrack from the originating horse racetrack to another
location;
F. "guest state" means a jurisdiction, other than
the jurisdiction in which a horse race is run, in which a horse
racetrack, off-track wagering facility or other facility that
is a member of and subject to an interstate common pool is
located;
G. "guest track" means a horse racetrack, off-track
wagering facility or other licensed facility in a location
other than the state in which a horse race is run that is a
member of and subject to an interstate common pool;
H. "handle" means the total of all pari-mutuel
wagering sales, excluding refunds and cancellations;
I. "horse race" means a competition among
racehorses on a predetermined course in which the horse
completing the course in the least amount of time generally
wins;
J. "host state" means the jurisdiction within which
a sending track is located, also known as a "sending state";
K. "host track" means the horse racetrack from
which a horse race subject to an interstate common pool is
transmitted to members of that interstate common pool, also
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known as a "sending track";
L. "import" means to receive a live audiovisual
broadcast of a horse race;
M. "interstate common pool" means a pari-mutuel
pool that combines comparable pari-mutuel pools from one or
more locations that accept wagers on a horse race run at a
sending track for purposes of establishing payoff prices at the
pool members' locations, including pools in which pool members
from more than one state simultaneously combine pari-mutuel
pools to form an interstate common pool;
N. "jockey club" means an organization that
administers thoroughbred registration records and registers
thoroughbreds;
O. "licensed premises" means land, together with
all buildings, other improvements and personal property located
on the land, that is under the direct control of a racetrack
licensee, including the restricted areas, grandstand and public
parking areas;
P. "licensee" means a person licensed by the
commission and includes a holder of an occupational, secondary
or racetrack license;
Q. "occupational license" means a license issued by
the commission to a vendor or to a person having access to a
restricted area on the licensed premises, including a horse
owner, trainer, jockey, agent, apprentice, groom, exercise
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person, veterinarian, valet, farrier, starter, clocker, racing
secretary, pari-mutuel clerk and other personnel designated by
the commission whose work, in whole or in part, is conducted
around racehorses or pari-mutuel betting windows;
R. "pari-mutuel wagering" means a system of
wagering in which bets on a live or simulcast horse race are
pooled and held by the racetrack licensee for distribution of
the total amount, less the deductions authorized by law, to
holders of winning tickets; "pari-mutuel wagering" does not
include bookmaking or pool selling;
S. "pari-mutuel wagering pool" means the money
wagered on a specific horse race through pari-mutuel wagering;
T. "practical breeder" means a person who has
practical experience in breeding horses, although the person
may not be actively involved in breeding horses;
U. "primary residence" means the domicile where a
person resides for most of the year, and, if the person is
temporarily out of state, the address where a person will
return when the person returns to New Mexico or the address
that a person uses for purposes of a driver's license, passport
or voting;
V. "quarter horse" means a racehorse that is
registered with the American quarter horse association or any
successor association;
W. "race meet" means a period of time within dates
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specified by the commission in which a racetrack licensee is
authorized to conduct and does conduct live racing on the
racing grounds;
X. "racehorse" means a quarter horse or
thoroughbred that is bred and trained to compete in horse
races;
Y. "racetrack license" means a license to conduct
horse races issued by the commission;
Z. "racetrack licensee" means a person who has been
issued a racetrack license;
AA. "racing grounds" means the area of the
restricted area of licensed premises used for the purpose of
conducting horse races and all activities ancillary to the
conduct of horse races, including the track, stable area,
jockey's quarters and horse training areas;
BB. "retainage" means money that is retained from
wagers on win, place and show and on exotic wagers by a
racetrack licensee pursuant to the Horse Racing Act;
CC. "restricted areas" means the stable area, the
area behind the pari-mutuel betting windows and anywhere on the
racing grounds;
DD. "secondary licensee" means all officers,
directors, shareholders, lenders or holders of evidence of
indebtedness of a corporation or legal entity owning a horse
racetrack, and all persons holding a direct or indirect
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interest of any nature whatsoever in the horse racetrack,
including interests or positions that deal with the funds of
the racetrack or that are administrative, policymaking or
supervisory;
EE. "simulcast" means a transmission of a live
audiovisual broadcast of a horse race being run at a horse
racetrack other than the horse racetrack or other licensed
facility at which the broadcast is being received for viewing
pursuant to a simulcasting contract;
FF. "stakes race" means a horse race in which
nominations or entry or starting fees contribute to the purse;
an overnight race is not a stakes race;
GG. "steward" means an employee of the commission
who supervises horse races and oversees a race meet while in
progress, including holding hearings regarding licensees and
enforcing the rules of the commission and the horse racetrack;
HH. "takeout" means amounts authorized by statute
to be deducted from the pari-mutuel wagers;
II. "thoroughbred" means a racehorse that is
registered with the jockey club;
JJ. "track" means the surfaced oval area on which
horse races are conducted; and
KK. "vendor" means a person who provides goods or
services to or in the racing grounds or restricted area of the
licensed premises of a horse racetrack."
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SECTION 2. A new section of the Horse Racing Act is
enacted to read:
"[NEW MATERIAL] RACE MEETS--FIFTEEN-WEEK MINIMUM--LIVE
RACING DAYS.--Live racing shall begin on the first day of a
race meet authorized for a racetrack licensee and shall
conclude on the final day of the authorized race meet. A race
meet shall be composed of three live race days for each week of
the race meet with at least ten live races per day for a
racetrack licensee that paid gaming tax to the state on its net
take in an amount equal to eight million dollars ($8,000,000)
or less in the prior fiscal year or four live race days for
each week of the race meet with at least nine live races per
day for a racetrack licensee that paid gaming tax to the state
on its net take in an amount greater than eight million dollars
($8,000,000) in the prior fiscal year. There shall be a lapse
of no more than three consecutive days in live racing from the
date a race meet ends at the racing grounds of one racetrack
licensee and the beginning of a race meet for another racetrack
licensee. A race meet shall be a minimum of fifteen weeks
long."
SECTION 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the
provisions of this act is July 1, 2025.
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