The bill amends the New Mexico Horse Racing Act to enhance the regulation of racetrack and gaming operator licenses. A significant change is the introduction of a confidentiality provision that protects communications and documents from applicants or licensees, requiring prior written consent or a lawful court order for disclosure. Additionally, the validity of racetrack licenses is extended from one year to three years, and the classification of these licenses will now be subject to the commission's approval rather than being strictly categorized based on previous gross amounts wagered. The commission is also granted powers to grant, deny, or revoke licenses and is mandated to adopt rules for license classification, with specific application requirements including notarized signatures and a submission timeline of at least sixty days prior to race meets.

Moreover, the bill revises the distribution of funds from pari-mutuel ticket sales, reallocating money from unredeemed winning tickets and unrefunded pari-mutuel tickets to the racetrack licensee, the New Mexico horse breeders' association, and a designated organization by the commission, replacing the previous allocation to the New Mexico horsemen's association. It establishes a requirement for the commission to audit these distributions and outlines conditions for racetracks operating gaming machines, including the necessary number of live race days to maintain a gaming operator's license. The licensing process for gaming operators is also modified to a three-year review cycle, clarifying conditions under which a racetrack's gaming operator license may become void, ultimately aiming to streamline operations and improve oversight in New Mexico's horse racing and gaming sectors.

Statutes affected:
introduced version: 60-1A-4, 60-1A-6, 60-1A-8, 60-1A-18, 60-1A-19, 60-1A-20, 60-1A-21, 60-2E-14, 60-2E-27