Columbus, OH — The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit Friday (March 3) ruled the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) constitutional. The decision is in stark contrast with the Fifth Circuit ruling, which unanimously found HISA unconstitutional late last year.

“We are disappointed with the decision, but we plan to appeal it, and we are confident our legal position will win in the end. The HISA Act puts an unaccountable private corporation in charge of horse racing nationwide, and then requires that states pay for the privilege,” said Russell Williams, President of the United States Trotting Association (USTA). “As Justice (Samuel) Alito recently explained, ‘To ensure the Government remains accountable to the public, it cannot delegate authority to a private entity.’ That is just what HISA does.”

The Sixth Circuit decision can be found here.