Board Lays Down the Law When Differentiating Ads

The California Horse Racing Board, with the cooperation of broadcast and newspaper publishing groups in the state, has sent notices to all radio and television stations and newspapers in California, advising them of the legalities in carrying betting-related advertising.

“While fully respecting the right of private businesses to manage their own affairs,” the notice says in part, “the board believes that it is in the interest of the horse-racing industry and the media to maintain both the fact and the appearance of full compliance with the laws that regulate wagering. The CHRB, therefore, requests that you decline to carry advertising for any unlicensed betting operation that violates wagering laws, California statues in particular.”

Last month the racing board approved the licenses of two companies to take bets on horse racing through the Internet and by telephone.

In cooperating with the racing board, the California Broadcasters Assn. has sent this advisory to its members: “....If you are running ads for sports betting, online gaming or any other type of Internet or telephone gambling besides horse racing for these two entities, then you are in violation of the law.”

Also cooperating with the racing board is the California Newspaper Publishers Assn. The racing board also sent notices to national publications and radio networks. One of the board’s targets would appear to be the Daily Racing Form, based in New York and widely distributed in California. In Saturday’s issue, the Racing Form carried 12 ads for six dot-com betting companies that have not been licensed by the racing board.

Steve Crist, publisher of the Racing Form, said Friday night that he hadn’t seen the racing board’s notice.

“Certainly no one else has taken this approach,” Crist said. “Everyone’s entitled to their opinion, and frequently a lot of people will have different opinions. If need be, we’ll seek legal counsel. I would be hard-pressed to say how much of this type of advertising we carry. It is not the largest kind of advertising we have, by any means.”

The general policy of The Times is not to carry gambling advertising.

*

Bill Christine