Sec. 09.10.01.66. Pari-Mutuels

A. The Maryland Racing Commission, acting under authority of the law creating it, has established the pari-mutuel as the only legal system of wagering on horse racing on all tracks in Maryland over which it has jurisdiction.

B. The "take" shall be in accordance with the law existing at the time of the race meeting.

C. The least number of horses in separate interests that can take part in a race in which payment out of the several pools may be made are:

(1) Five for straight, place and show;

(2) Four for straight and place;

(3) Three for straight;

(4) In exceptional instances, the Maryland Racing Commission consenting, straight pools may be sold with only two horses engaged.

D. The consent of the Maryland Racing Commission shall be obtained to call off betting in the various pools as follows:

(1) Show, if five or more separate interests are engaged in a race;

(2) Place, if four or more separate interests are engaged in a race.

E. In establishing the payoff in each pool in every race the calculations shall be made on the dollar. Any balance that may result in the division on which the result is determined need not be paid in pennies, but in every instance the breakage allowance shall be less than 10 cents, the dollar being the unit. The "breakage" shall be in accordance with the law existing at the time of the race meeting.

F. A pari-mutuel ticket shall be sold in denominations approved by the Commission.

G. Notwithstanding any other provision of the pari-mutuel rules for wagering, each association shall, in all cases of a pari-mutuel pool, distribute not less than $2.10 on each winning $2 wager.

H. Minus pools shall be charged against breakage in the same proportion as the breakage is allocated.

I. The result of every race is determined, insofar as the mutuel pay-off is affected, when it is posted as "official". Since immediate distribution of the respective pools is required, a subsequent change in the order of finish and no run-off in a dead heat may not involve the mutuel department.

J. Errors.

(1) If an error is made in posting the pay-off figures on the public board, it shall be corrected promptly and only the correct amounts shall be used in the pay-off, irrespective of the error on the public board, but a change may not be made in the pay-off after the cashing of winning tickets has commenced.

(2) If an error is discovered before the pay-off is started, the correct pay-off shall be posted and a statement shall be made over the public address system stating the facts and the corrections.

(3) If, under the conditions set forth above it is too late to correct the error, then the following rules shall apply:

(a) If the error results in an over-payment to the public, subsequent correction may not be made;

(b) If the error results in an under-payment, the amount of under-payment, after it has been determined, is added to the same pool which next occurs;

(c) However, if an under-payment occurs and the same pool does not reoccur at the scheduled race meeting, the amount of the under-payment shall be paid over to the Commission for the account of the Maryland Horsemen's Assistance Fund.

K. In order to determine "at what time" the cashing of winning tickets has commenced, the following rules govern:

(1) At racing associations where a mechanical device is employed to inform the cashiers the amount of pay-off, when the key or other device is set to indicate race and prices are official and it is proper to pay off;

(2) At racing associations where messengers are employed and/or telephone messages to deliver official pay-offs to cashiers, 60 seconds after the pay-offs have been posted on the public board.

L. All horses in the name of the same owner under the care of the same trainer, when entered to race, shall be coupled as an entry, a wager on any one of them being a wager on all-the "entry" running as one horse.

M. Except as provided in §N of this regulation, where the capacity for betting units on the tote board at a track is less than the number of betting interests competing in the race, all betting interests in excess of the maximum number of betting units, less one, shall be grouped together to constitute the "field", a bet on the "field" being a bet on all horses so grouped.

N. If a race emanates from a track whose tote board provides for a number of betting units different than the tote board at a track receiving the race, and the receiving track elects to use the same number of betting units as the sending track, the receiving track shall:

(1) Advertise that the wagering units at the receiving track site shall be the same as at the sending track; and

(2) Display the odds only on the monitors throughout the facility if the receiving track's tote board is not capable of displaying at least the same number of betting units as displayed on the tote board of the sending track.

O. When safety regulations and the width of the track (county fairs) require that the number of horses permitted to compete shall be limited to 10 or less, there may not be a "field", except as provided in §N of this regulation.

P. Provisions for horse betting units shall be made to meet the requirements of each race, as indicated by the printed program. Should any horse be "scratched", the totalisator betting mechanism provided for that horse shall be locked immediately.

Q. Excused or Scratched Horse.

(1) The stewards may excuse a horse and order it scratched from a race at any time before the horses are dispatched from the starting gate. Tickets purchased on scratched horses shall be redeemed at their face value, unless the excused or scratched horse is part of an "entry" or "field".

(2) When a horse that is part of an entry or the field is scratched after betting on the race has begun, all wagers on the entry or field remain in effect as long as a horse from the entry or field remains in the race. If the entire entry or field is scratched, the tickets purchased on the entry or field shall be redeemed at their face value.

(3) At a track equipped with a totalisator system with the capability to cancel and refund tickets before the running of a race, the time that betting has begun on a horse in an entry or the field is considered the time that win odds are first displayed on the track's infield tote board on the race in which the horse is to compete, or when the probable payoff prices are posted on the first race of a multiple race pool of which the horse's race forms a part. If a horse is scratched before betting has begun, and if tickets have been sold upon an affected entry or field before the time when betting has begun, the tickets may not be refunded unless the holders of the tickets present them for cancellation before betting on the race has begun, or the first race of a multiple pool. Tickets not presented for cancellation by this time are considered as wagers upon the remaining horses in the entry or field.

R. If a door of the starting gate fails to open as the starter dispatches the field (because of faulty action or other cause), it shall be reported immediately to the stewards by the starter. The stewards shall post the inquiry sign and have the announcer alert the public to hold all tickets. The stewards shall then view the films to determine if the gate failed to open when the starter dispatched the field and rule accordingly.

S. The starter shall make the decision on what horse or horses are prevented from racing through failure of the gates to open.

T. If the failure of a stall gate to open reduces the number of horses in separate interests actually engaged in the race below the number required for show or place betting, refunds of the place or show polls may not be made; complete and full refunds shall be made on the horses prevented from starting.

U. If the stewards or the veterinarian excuse a horse and order the horse scratched before it is in the hands of the starter, and this action reduces the number of horses in separate interests actually engaged in the race below the number required for place or show wagering, refunds shall be made of the place or show tickets on the horse.

V. If a horse is prevented from running due to a failure of the starting gate, a refund of all tickets shall be made.

W. Except when dead heats occur, or when "field" horses or "entries" are involved in the result of a race, or when no ticket has been sold on a horse finishing first, second, or third, the distribution of pools shall be as follows:

(1) The distributable portion of the "straight" pool shall be paid to holders of tickets on the horse that finishes first;

(2) Distributable "place" money shall be divided in equal parts, 1/2 of which shall be allotted to the winning horse and 1/2 to the horse finishing second, payments being made to holders of "place" tickets;

(3) "Show" money for distribution among holders of show tickets shall be divided into three equal portions, one portion for the horse finishing first, one portion for the horse finishing second, and one portion for the horse finishing third;

(4) All payments to holders of tickets entitled to share in the distribution of the respective pools shall be in proportion to their investment in the horse or horses sharing in the distribution from these pools, reference to payments out of pools meaning the distributable portion thereof but refunds, when made, include all the money in the pool or pools to which they apply.

X. Dead Heats.

(1) If two horses run a dead heat for first place, the money in the "straight" mutuel pool shall be divided the same as in a "place" pool calculation.

(2) If two horses run a dead heat for second place, the division shall be made as follows: The winner of the race shall receive his full share of 1/2 of the "place" money, and the two dead-heaters shall receive 1/2 each of the balance, or 1/4 each of the whole.

(3) If two horses run a dead heat for third place, the division is made as follows:

(a) The winner and the second place horse receive their full share, namely 1/3 each of the distributable money in the show pool; and

(b) The two horses in the dead heat divide the remaining third between them, namely 1/6 of the distributable money.

Y. Field Horses.

(1) In the event that two of the "field" horses finish first and second, or first and third, or second and third, the "show" money shall be divided into three parts, 2/3 going to the "field" horse.

(2) If three "field" horses finish first, second, and third, all the "place" money and all the "show" money, as well as the "straight" money, shall go to the "field" tickets participating.

Z. Apportionment of Pools When No Tickets Are Sold.

(1) If a race is won by a horse on which no "straight" tickets have been sold, all the "straight" money shall be apportioned to the holders of "place" tickets on the winning horse, the "straight" money supplementing the winner's share of the "place" pool.

(2) If a horse upon which no "place" ticket has been sold runs second, all of the "place" pool shall be apportioned to the "place" tickets sold on the horse that finished first, there being only one participating ticket and not two, as usual, the calculation being the same as in the "straight" pool.

(3) If a horse upon which no "show" ticket has been sold finishes third, all of the "show" pool shall be divided between the "show" tickets sold on the horses that finished first and second, there being but two participating tickets, and not three, as usual, the calculation being the same as in a "place" pool.

AA. If only one horse finishes in a race, all money in the place and show pools goes to the holders of place and show tickets on this one horse, the money being distributed as in a straight pool. If only two horses finish in a race, all money in the show pool goes to the holders of show tickets on these two horses, the money being distributed as in a place pool.

BB. If no horse finishes, all money shall be refunded.

CC. Each association shall maintain suitable electric apparatus for locking the totalisator selling windows. It shall be operated from the stewards' stand by one of the stewards designated for this duty.

DD. Pari-Mutuel Ticket Sales.

(1) A pari-mutuel ticket may not be sold on an event for which the totalisator has been closed for betting on the event.

(2) An association is not responsible for a ticket sale on an event unless evidenced by a ticket that was issued and produced before the totalisator was closed for betting on the first race of the event on which a bet was placed.

(3) Claims pertaining to a mistake on an issued or unissued ticket shall be made by the bettor before leaving the teller's window.

(4) An association has no obligation to enter a bet into a betting pool if unable to do so as a result of equipment failure.

EE. While the betting is in progress, there shall be frequent postings of the approximate odds on the horses taking part in the race, "entries" being listed on the odds board as one horse and likewise the "field", when either or both are a part of the race.

FF. Suitable apparatus shall be provided whereby notice is given to the mutuel department that the:

(1) Horses that are to run are on the track after leaving the paddock;

(2) Horses are parading;

(3) Lead pony has just reached the starting gate; and

(4) Horses are off.

GG. Totalisator adjustments will be summarized at the close of each meeting and if the result is a credit to the company operating the totalisator, then the auditor representing the Maryland Racing Commission will obtain a check from the company, for the amount of the net credit, made payable to "Maryland Horsemen's Assistance Fund".

HH. If any emergency develops requiring an immediate solution in connection with the operation of the mutuel department, the authority to act is hereby conferred on the mutuel manager, who shall promptly report the emergency to the Commission and the means employed by him in meeting it.

II. The cycle of frequency of change on the totalisator board may not be more than 60 seconds.

JJ. A person younger than 18 years old may not purchase or cash pari-mutuel tickets.