HZ2589 Summary

• Amends Arizona racing commission qualifications to allow up to two members with financial interest or substantial experience in horse or harness racing, increasing from one member, while maintaining prohibitions on financial interests in licensees.

• Repeals section 5-104.02 and establishes new section 5-226 creating a four percent tax on gross receipts from boxing contests to be deposited in an unarmed combat subaccount within the racing regulation fund.

• Extends racing license validity periods from three years to five years maximum and revises terminology throughout statutes replacing "department" with "division" for clarity in gaming regulation structure.

• Establishes rural county fair racing fund with $200,000 transfer from racing regulation fund in fiscal year 2018-2019 to provide matching grants to counties with populations under 800,000 that operate county fair racing, with fund repealing June 30, 2020.

• Exempts the department of gaming from rulemaking requirements for one year to adopt rules for a unique pari-mutuel wager and consolidates boxing and mixed martial arts commission revenue collection and financial oversight functions under the director.