ASK THE STATE OF GEORGIA TO BAN UNREGULATED BUSH TRACK HORSERACING BY SUBMITTING THIS FORM

Fill out this form with your name and the city/town and zip of your home in Georgia and we'll get it to Georgia's state senators and representatives, asking to make unregulated, unsanctioned horseracing illegal in the state of Georgia.

Supporting Documents are linked here.

‘UNSANCTIONED’, aka “BUSH TRACK” or “MATCH” horseracing has gotten a foothold in the state of Georgia. This racing is taking place at least two 3 track locations in Georgia that are part of a vast network across the U.S. that has its origins in Mexico. Within that network, there are sub-circuits, such as the southeast. Horses racing in Georgia, for example, are shipped from track to track each weekend between GA, AL, NC, SC, LA, MS and TN. Unsanctioned horseracing brings tremendous public safety risks, as it is riddled with criminal activity.

Bush track racing is known by state and federal law enforcement, as well as the national press for:

1. Spreading incurable and highly contagious equine diseases - EIA, EHV and EP – from Mexico,

2. Administering controlled substances without on-site oversight required by the DEA,

3. Catastrophic injuries to humans and horses - no ambulances available for injuries - human or equine on sight - Jockeys, horses and spectators have been killed at these events,

4. Egregious doping of horses (cocaine, methamphetamine, methylphenidate (Ritalin) and Fentanyl has been injected into horses right before races),

5. The use of electronic devices to shock horses for speed,

6. Narcotics trafficking via racehorse trailers across the Mexican border and across state lines,

7. Sales tax, income tax and property tax evasion - on goods/attractions sold at events – entrée fees in Georgia are as high as $100 per person per day, locations of tracks registered as exempt under various real estate tax categories,

8. Noncompliance with state animal welfare (equine) protections - GDA does not have the manpower to regulate these events and check horses/paperwork,

9. Evasion of USDA interstate transport regulations - transporters need to be licensed, equines need health certificates to travel,

10. Illegal gambling,

11. Money laundering from drug trafficking proceeds through purchases of bush track racehorses.

12. Participants in unsanctioned horseracing are often involved in illegal cockfighting.

Our local law enforcement agencies currently do not have a tool with which to shut these tracks down because Georgia has no law on the books that says unsanctioned horseracing is illegal. These tracks exploit this loophole. States that have parimutuel betting/ horseracing include in their statutes rules that prohibit unsanctioned/unregulated horseracing. Georgia has not passed parimutuel racing, so no such rule exists currently in Georgia statute.