Michigan tracks are open year round with simulcast entertainment, and what a decade ago was only seasonal labor is now full time employment for many track employees. Horse racing interests pay local property taxes on the tracks, and on breeding and training facilities. The tracks also contribute to the economy of the surrounding communities by purchasing goods and services.

Indirectly, horse racing provides employment for farmers, transportation workers, restaurant and hotel personnel employed near the tracks, the media representatives who report on racing, and the workers who build and repair the training or track facilities, among others. Their collective contribution to the Michigan economy is substantial.

The six operating Michigan racetracks in 2007 held a total of 1,935 days of live and simulcast racing, attracting one million fans, wagering over $260 million. The industry generated income for the State through taxes including personal income, property, Michigan Business Tax and the wagering tax unique to the horse racing industry. In 2007, over $8.4 million was passed to the state by the simulcast wagering tax.

It goes without saying, Michigan horse racing is important not only to Michigan's agriculture industry but also its economic wellbeing. For more information about the economic value of Michigan horse racing, have a look at our 2007 Annual Report.