from United Florida Horsemen

Some say the battle for Florida’s gambling market could be fought at the county level. Nearly 10,000 licensed Florida racehorse owners, trainers and breeders who live, work and do business in each of Florida’s counties can’t take that chance.

That’s why United Florida Horsemen is reaching out to our local officials to tell them the futures of our horsemen, their small businesses and the thousands of Floridians we employ statewide are on the chopping block in the 2016 Florida Legislative Session because of “decoupling,” an obscure line-item hidden in the Seminole Gaming Compact.

United Florida Horsemen is an advocacy group of Thoroughbred, American Quarter Horse and Standardbred horsemen who do business in Florida. We’re also voters, residents, taxpayers, parents and neighbors. We oppose decoupling because it will kill our business and put our horsemen out of work — precisely what big casinos want.

So, we’re asking you to take time to get the facts and tell our Florida legislators to stand against decoupling — a full-scale gambling expansion in disguise that would ultimately eliminate Florida’s longstanding and top-ranked horse racing and breeding industry. While lawmakers debate the merits of using taxpayer dollars to lure out-of-state corporations, the irony of allowing “decoupling” to gift big casinos with our economic development funds and simultaneously kill profitable businesses that have been here for decades must be addressed.

This past October, the Ocala Star Banner’s Editorial Board wrote:

“Now, many in Tallahassee are being urged to embrace decoupling, which would allow for a vast expansion of casino-style gambling in our state with little direct economic return. In fact, it would most likely lead to a huge economic loss for the state . . . Decoupling would allow for vast expansion of gambling with no benefit to anyone but gambling corporations.”

Learn more at www.NoDecoupling.com.