Photo, Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO Representatives of the racing industry sounded the alarm during a meeting of the Meadowlands-Liberty Convention and Visitors’ Bureau meeting Tuesday, Jan. 26. The industry, which is projected to lose $22 million in the upcoming year, faces steep criticism from public officials.

By Susan C. Moeller / Senior Reporter

LYNDHURST (Feb. 3, 2010, 9:40 a.m.) — It’s an unlucky era for horse racing — the sport’s popularity is declining, and the industry wants help to stay alive. Representatives of the racing industry sounded the alarm during a meeting of the Meadowlands-Liberty Convention and Visitors Bureau, Tuesday, Jan. 26.

Their opinion matched that of Gov. Chris Christie’s transition team, whose report on the gaming, sports and entertainment industry indicated that on-track racing faces a projected loss of $22 million in the upcoming year.

There is stiff competition from out-of-state venues. Racinos that offer slot machines and video lottery terminals draw people away from New Jersey’s four racetracks. Waning interest is a problem, too.

“People aren’t coming to the racetrack like they used to,” said Karyn Malinowski, from the Rutgers Equine Science Center, in an interview after the meeting. At one time, 50,000 people would come to the track on race day, she said.

That doesn’t happen anymore.

The sport needs to reinvent itself, become exciting to a more people. It’s an old fashioned pastime that hasn’t marketed itself well to a new generation of fans, Malinowski continued.

Old-fashioned or not, the horse industry, and racing in particular, is valuable to the state of New Jersey, Malinowski said during her presentation to the Visitors’ bureau. The industry is valued at  $4 billion, and it is responsible for 13,000 jobs, 7000 of them race-related. It generates $160 million in tax revenue for the state, local and federal governments, Malinowski said.

But, possibly even more important are the 176,000 New Jersey acres dedicated to horse-related agriculture; 57,000 of them are tax-generating open space, an anomaly in a cramped state like New Jersey, where governments sometimes borrow money to buy lots for parks and recreation, then pay to maintain them.

Saving horse racing is a “quality of life and open space issue, ” Malinowski continued.

The industry needs to reinvent itself, Malinowski said.

But, until then, a little help from the state would be appreciated.

Along with Barbara DeMarco, a lobbyist for the horse racing industry, Malinowski advocated the addition of slot machines and video lottery terminals at the state’s tracks. Funds generated there could be allocated back to the industry, as a kind of band-aid.

Senator Paul Sarlo went a step further by saying that a full-fledged casino should be placed at the Meadowlands Sports Complex.

Racing and gambling are already a hand and glove enterprise. The industry’s revenue is drawn predominantly from bets placed on the various races, supplemented by sales of food and programs. Malinowski said.

But, non-gamblers can enjoy the sport, too.

“I don’t gamble,” Malinowski said, “I love horses, I love racing.”

Whether or not the casino dream comes to fruition, the future of New Jersey’s four racetracks, and particularly, the Meadowlands track, will have an impact on the local landscape.

“Our future is tied to the future of the Sports Complex,” said Meadowlands Regional Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Jim Kirkos. Racing is an historically important part of the sports complex, and it has a place there in the future, he said.

Rutherford Mayor John Hipp is more circumspect. The state doesn’t have an obligation to save the horse racing industry, he said.

“I have nothing against the horses, but if you can’t make it. Let’s get the land and put it to beneficial use,” he concluded.

2010 will be a pivotal year for horse racing. Whether it’s finish line, or a fresh start for the sport remains to be seen.

Contact Susan at 201-438-8700 or by e-mailing Susan@LeaderNewspapers.net

The Leader is looking to improve its comment field. Stay tuned for a new sign-up feature. (2/2/10)