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Three conflicting bills in the current legislative session capture the muddled state of gambling in Oregon.
Senate Bill 1503, sponsored by Senate President Peter Courtney (D-Salem), would legalize betting on college sports. SB 1504, also sponsored by Courtney, prohibits greyhound racing, or accepting bets on the same, no matter where a race is held.
Meanwhile, the disagreement between Dutch Bros. CEO Travis Boersma and Oregon’s tribes over Boersma’s proposal to install 225 historical horse racing betting terminals at the Flying Lark resort at Grants Pass Downs continues. HB 4046, introduced at the request of tribes, would call a halt to any expansion of gambling for a year, giving all stakeholders, including the tribes, the Oregon Lottery and private interests, time to hash out the future.
As first reported Wednesday by WW, the bill explicitly blocks the Oregon Racing Commission from approving any new gambling operations in the meantime.
On Feb. 8, the Racing Commission, which would regulate Boersma’s proposed development, met in executive session to “discuss written legal advice” from the Oregon Department of Justice on the Grants Pass dispute. The substance of that meeting is confidential, but the session lasted less than 10 minutes.
