In an effort to revive the declining horse racing industry in California, Assemblyman Leland Yee recently introduced a bill that would allow the operation of slots-like gambling machines in seven of the state's racetracks.
Supporting Yee's bill, government official Frederick Baedeker said that, although the horse betting devices imitate traditional slot machines, the game they offer is horse racing and not slots, which makes them absolutely legal.
In California, Indian casinos enjoy a monopoly over slots operation, a business that has proved to be very lucrative for the local tribes. Indeed, according to some industry experts, a Californian slot machine generates an estimated $300 each day.
Nevertheless, the state Tribal Business Alliance reportedly said that it opposed Yee's bill, fearing that the new competition might damage their own slots business. The bill would allow the operation of nearly 13,000 gambling devices across the state, which would generate as much as $300,000 in annual revenues.
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