R.I. legislators, governor tangle over greyhound racing

Rhode Island legislators are fighting to expand greyhound racing, an increasingly outdated and unprofitable sport that has been squeezed out by newer forms of gambling. Over the objection of Governor Don Carcieri, lawmakers have moved to force a bankrupt, state-licensed slot parlor to run 200 days of live racing at its greyhound track even though the law requires only 125.

Carcieri, a Republican, vetoed the legislation. But lawmakers in the Democrat-dominated General Assembly say they expect to override it.

Supporters say it’s necessary to save 225 jobs (including parimutuel clerks, bartenders, and security workers), to preserve tax revenue, and to retain the 5,000 people who visit the track each week. They also argue that the public shouldn’t be penalized for what they say are the bad business decisions of the owners of the gambling parlor, called Twin River.

“I did not want to see more people out of work,’’ said Senator Frank Ciccone III, the bill’s sponsor. “My compassion is with the poor people who are trying to make a living than with the multimillionaires who overinvested and tried to take more money out.’’

The move bucks a national trend away from greyhound racing. Last year, Massachusetts voters passed a ballot question banning greyhound racing amid allegations the dogs were mistreated; a pro-dog racing group wants to contest that referendum. And New Hampshire’s two remaining greyhound tracks won state permission last month to end live racing after waning interest from bettors.

About 30 tracks remain nationwide, down from a peak of about 55 in the early 1990s, said Gary Guccione, executive director of National Greyhound Association, a Kansas-based group.

“There has been a downsizing,’’ he said. “It started when the lotteries really started expanding and when the casinos were getting a foothold in different parts of the country.’’

Twin River’s owner, UTGR Inc., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last month, unable to repay more than a half-billion dollars in debt taken on during massive renovations.

The Carcieri administration supports an end to live racing, saying live wagering on the sport has declined from $150 million in 1990 to $13 million. Twin River moved to suspend racing earlier this year and sought legislative permission to get rid of the sport as part of a bankruptcy restructuring deal with Carcieri’s administration.

“The governor has said all along: ‘Get rid of the dogs. It doesn’t make financial sense to continue dog racing,’ ’’ said Amy Kempe, Carcieri spokeswoman.

Instead, lawmakers voted to expand the required number of annual racing days, though the track usually operates about 200 days on its own, said Jennifer Bramley, a spokeswoman for the Rhode Island Greyhound Owners Association.