Batavia Downs Gaming is on its way to another year of record earnings, the chief financial officer for Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. said this morning.
“Surcharge and earnings distributions are up 175 percent this year compared to the same point in 2021 and we’re about $500,000 away from 2021’s earnings distribution of $4.9 million – which was the best ever for the corporation,” said CFO Jacquelyne Leach, following today’s board of directors meeting at the Park Road facility.
Year-to-date earnings and surcharge for 2022 are at $4,713,508, broken down as follows: $4,340,130 in earnings and $373,378 in surcharge, Leach reported. Compared to last year at this time, the total earnings and surcharge distributions were $1,716,870.
“At this pace, this will be the highest earnings year in the corporation’s history,” Leach said.
She said that the public benefit company will be distributing $2,606,704 in second quarter earnings and June surcharge to its 17 member municipalities next week.
Genesee County will receive $53,903 from the second quarter earnings pool and $951 from the surcharge pool, bringing its year-to-date earnings and surcharge distribution to $99,251. For all of 2021, Genesee County received $36,190 in surcharge and earnings distributions.
Resolutions passed by the board during its meeting include:
- Finalization of an agreement with the Western New York Harness Horsemen’s Association to add 15 racing dates in January and February 2023 to the current schedule. WNYHHA has agreed to pay all expenses associated with conducting the additional dates – expected to be around $300,000, according to WROTB President Henry Wojtaszek. The dates will be announced after approval of the contract by the New York State Gaming Commission.
- Authorizing WROTB to pay $140,000 for the Town of Batavia, through general contractor CATCO, to install a new 12-inch sewer line during the Park Road Reconstruction Project. Previously, the Batavia Town Board voted in favor of the agreement, which calls for WROTB and Genesee Park Place Associates to share the cost of about 700 linear feet of sewer pipe.
- A contract with Audio Images Sound & Lighting of Batavia for $150,000 to set up the stage, concert lighting and associated equipment for the Rockin’ The Downs Concert Series this summer. Wojtaszek acknowledged that the contract should have been presented to the board sooner, since the concert series is halfway done, but said the amount was negotiated prior to the start of the series.
- Expenditures totaling up to $130,000 for food and beverages at three Western New York venues during events sponsored by WROTB for customers. The amounts are $75,000 at Key Bank Center in Buffalo (Buffalo Sabres, Buffalo Bandits, concerts); $30,000 at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, and $25,000 at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park (Buffalo Bills, concerts).
- Agreements with the WNYHHA to evenly split the cost of the purchase of a new 621 G Z Bar Case Loader from Monroe Tractor and a new T450 Track Loader from Clark Equipment Co., which will be used to maintain the harness track. The first piece of equipment costs $186,412.59 and the second one costs $54,786.63.
- A change order of the contract with Suburban Electric, Inc., in the amount of $22,709.36 for electric work associated with the lighting of the parking lot adjacent to the new warehouse and cold storage facility on the ground’s south end. Wojtaszek said the total cost of the project is around $1 million and it is near completion.
- Acceptance of a purchase offer of no less than $450,000 from Laur Properties, LLC, for the OTB branch that has been for sale on Military Road in Niagara Falls.
