Wonderland Racetrack
Encyclopedia
Wonderland Greyhound Park was a greyhound racing
track located in Revere
, Massachusetts
owned by the Westwood Group. It was constructed on the site of the former Wonderland Amusement Park. Wonderland opened on June 12, 1935 and formerly offered 361 performances during its 100-day, April to September racing period.
As a result of a state-wide ban on dog racing which took effect on January 1, 2010, the track offered only simulcast wagering, but completely closed its doors on August 19, 2010. The track laid off the remaining 75-80 workers and closed its doors after Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick
vetoed a gaming bill that could have allowed the park to add slot machines.
With the end of its greyhound racing, Wonderland formed a partnership with nearby Suffolk Downs
horse track to build a casino on the site, but this plan also allows the option of the track being redeveloped for commercial or mixed uses.
by the Massachusetts Legislature
in 1934, the idea of Wonderland Greyhound Park was made a possibility. The track was constructed on the site of the former Wonderland Amusement Park in Revere
, which had been converted from an amusement park to a bicycle track after the parks close in 1911.
The opening night of Wonderland Greyhound Park took place on June 12, 1935 and was attended by an estimated 5,000 people. Pansy Walker won the first-ever greyhound race in the park while $58,462 was wagered for the first evening. By July 21, after 17 races, the money wagered topped $100,000, never dropping below the figure for the duration of the park's 100 night inaugural season.
The Westwood Group, headed by restaurateur Charles Sarkis and insurer James Kelley purchased the track in 1977 from Boston businessman Joe Linsey; new management along with the 1978 omnibus racing bill were economically beneficial as Wonderland's offerings began to expand. Under the leadership of the Westwood Group, the park made a total of four handles of over 1 million dollars; they occurred on August 29, 1981 ($1,004,826), May 5, 1983 ($1,004,740), August 11, 1984 ($1,086,554) and April 30, 1988 ($1,025,928).
The best year for the track according to Sarkis was in 1991, but he claims that business started to taper off as full service casinos were built in Connecticut
and Rhode Island
, along with the lottery
which started "nibbling at gamblers' available dollars".
Wonderland experienced legal issues when the City of Revere attempted to collect overdue taxes and utility bills. The track owed over two years' worth of back taxes and utility bills to the city, which threatened Wonderland with foreclosure if it failed to pay. A lien
had been placed on the property in June 2007, and revocation hearings for its annual liquor and parking licenses were planned. The bill, totaling $752,301, was finally paid in a lump sum in October 2008. A similar situation also occurred in 1994, when Wonderland's owners owed over $1.5 million in back taxes.
Before the end of live greyhound racing, Wonderland Greyhound Park offered 361 performances during its 100-day, April to September racing season. Races on cold days were made possible through the use of over 7 miles (11.3 km) of underground piping that heated the racetrack. In addition, the park featured year round simulcast
which allowed patrons to bet on races at other tracks.
passed the Massachusetts Greyhound Protection Act
through a referendum
held on November 4, 2008 which banned greyhound racing statewide as of January 1, 2010. As a result, live races ended at the park on September 18, 2009.
's idea of introducing it to the state failed to make it through the legislature in 2007. Cited as the key to keep Wonderland open, casino gambling was proposed for the site. On August 13, 2008, a nearly two year discussion ended with Richard Fields, the principal owner of the Suffolk Downs
horse track in East Boston, Massachusetts
. A partnership with Wonderland was formed which strengthened their position to build a casino at Suffolk Downs. Suffolk Downs would then share the license with Wonderland. The deal allows Suffolk Downs to buy Wonderland, which it would then redevelop for commercial or mixed uses.
Massachusetts House
Speaker
Salvatore Dimasi
, however, an opponent of casinos, said through an aide that he has not changed his opinion and would presumably urge the Massachusetts legislature to not allow casino gambling in the state. In late 2008, the Patrick administration announced that it was not focused on slots at the tracks or casinos, but that Patrick was "concerned about any job losses from any companies" and pledged to begin planning ways to assist or retrain track workers. By mid-2010, the administration announced that it would allow three full casino resort licenses to non-racetrack locations and in a last minute compromise, added a provision for one slot parlor that a racetrack could acquire through competitive bidding. When the house and senate proposed a bill with two slot parlors, Patrick vetoed it as he previously stated that he would only accept one parlor. As a result of the casino bill not passing, the owners found the continued operation of the park offering only simulcast racing to be uneconomical. Wonderland Greyhound Park closed its doors on August 19, 2010, laying off the remaining 75-80 workers.
Greyhound racing
Greyhound racing is the sport of racing greyhounds. The dogs chase a lure on a track until they arrive at the finish line. The one that arrives first is the winner....
track located in Revere
Revere, Massachusetts
Revere is a city in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States, and located approximately from downtown Boston. It is named after the American patriot Paul Revere. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 51,755.- History :...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
owned by the Westwood Group. It was constructed on the site of the former Wonderland Amusement Park. Wonderland opened on June 12, 1935 and formerly offered 361 performances during its 100-day, April to September racing period.
As a result of a state-wide ban on dog racing which took effect on January 1, 2010, the track offered only simulcast wagering, but completely closed its doors on August 19, 2010. The track laid off the remaining 75-80 workers and closed its doors after Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick
Deval Patrick
Deval Laurdine Patrick is the 71st and current Governor of Massachusetts. A member of the Democratic Party, Patrick served as an Assistant United States Attorney General under President Bill Clinton...
vetoed a gaming bill that could have allowed the park to add slot machines.
With the end of its greyhound racing, Wonderland formed a partnership with nearby Suffolk Downs
Suffolk Downs
Suffolk Downs, a thoroughbred race track in East Boston, Massachusetts, United States opened in 1935. Famous horses that have raced at this track include Seabiscuit, Whirlaway, Funny Cide and Cigar. The MassCap is held there, as well at the annual Hot Dog Safari...
horse track to build a casino on the site, but this plan also allows the option of the track being redeveloped for commercial or mixed uses.
History
With the legalization of Parimutuel bettingParimutuel betting
Parimutuel betting is a betting system in which all bets of a particular type are placed together in a pool; taxes and the "house-take" or "vig" is removed, and payoff odds are calculated by sharing the pool among all winning bets...
by the Massachusetts Legislature
Massachusetts General Court
The Massachusetts General Court is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name "General Court" is a hold-over from the Colonial Era, when this body also sat in judgment of judicial appeals cases...
in 1934, the idea of Wonderland Greyhound Park was made a possibility. The track was constructed on the site of the former Wonderland Amusement Park in Revere
Revere, Massachusetts
Revere is a city in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States, and located approximately from downtown Boston. It is named after the American patriot Paul Revere. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 51,755.- History :...
, which had been converted from an amusement park to a bicycle track after the parks close in 1911.
The opening night of Wonderland Greyhound Park took place on June 12, 1935 and was attended by an estimated 5,000 people. Pansy Walker won the first-ever greyhound race in the park while $58,462 was wagered for the first evening. By July 21, after 17 races, the money wagered topped $100,000, never dropping below the figure for the duration of the park's 100 night inaugural season.
The Westwood Group, headed by restaurateur Charles Sarkis and insurer James Kelley purchased the track in 1977 from Boston businessman Joe Linsey; new management along with the 1978 omnibus racing bill were economically beneficial as Wonderland's offerings began to expand. Under the leadership of the Westwood Group, the park made a total of four handles of over 1 million dollars; they occurred on August 29, 1981 ($1,004,826), May 5, 1983 ($1,004,740), August 11, 1984 ($1,086,554) and April 30, 1988 ($1,025,928).
The best year for the track according to Sarkis was in 1991, but he claims that business started to taper off as full service casinos were built in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
and Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, along with the lottery
Lottery
A lottery is a form of gambling which involves the drawing of lots for a prize.Lottery is outlawed by some governments, while others endorse it to the extent of organizing a national or state lottery. It is common to find some degree of regulation of lottery by governments...
which started "nibbling at gamblers' available dollars".
Wonderland experienced legal issues when the City of Revere attempted to collect overdue taxes and utility bills. The track owed over two years' worth of back taxes and utility bills to the city, which threatened Wonderland with foreclosure if it failed to pay. A lien
Lien
In law, a lien is a form of security interest granted over an item of property to secure the payment of a debt or performance of some other obligation...
had been placed on the property in June 2007, and revocation hearings for its annual liquor and parking licenses were planned. The bill, totaling $752,301, was finally paid in a lump sum in October 2008. A similar situation also occurred in 1994, when Wonderland's owners owed over $1.5 million in back taxes.
Before the end of live greyhound racing, Wonderland Greyhound Park offered 361 performances during its 100-day, April to September racing season. Races on cold days were made possible through the use of over 7 miles (11.3 km) of underground piping that heated the racetrack. In addition, the park featured year round simulcast
Simulcast
Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
which allowed patrons to bet on races at other tracks.
Future
Voters of the commonwealthCommonwealth
Commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has sometimes been synonymous with "republic."More recently it has been used for fraternal associations of some sovereign nations...
passed the Massachusetts Greyhound Protection Act
Massachusetts Greyhound Protection Act
The Greyhound Protection Act is a Massachusetts statute that gradually eliminated commercial dog racing by 2010. It was enacted as Question 3 on the November 4, 2008 ballot in Massachusetts....
through a referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
held on November 4, 2008 which banned greyhound racing statewide as of January 1, 2010. As a result, live races ended at the park on September 18, 2009.
Casino
Casino gambling is currently against the law in Massachusetts and governor Deval PatrickDeval Patrick
Deval Laurdine Patrick is the 71st and current Governor of Massachusetts. A member of the Democratic Party, Patrick served as an Assistant United States Attorney General under President Bill Clinton...
's idea of introducing it to the state failed to make it through the legislature in 2007. Cited as the key to keep Wonderland open, casino gambling was proposed for the site. On August 13, 2008, a nearly two year discussion ended with Richard Fields, the principal owner of the Suffolk Downs
Suffolk Downs
Suffolk Downs, a thoroughbred race track in East Boston, Massachusetts, United States opened in 1935. Famous horses that have raced at this track include Seabiscuit, Whirlaway, Funny Cide and Cigar. The MassCap is held there, as well at the annual Hot Dog Safari...
horse track in East Boston, Massachusetts
East Boston, Massachusetts
East Boston is a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, with approximately 40,000 residents. The community was created by connecting several islands using landfill and was annexed by Boston in 1836. East Boston is separated from the rest of the city by Boston Harbor and bordered by Winthrop,...
. A partnership with Wonderland was formed which strengthened their position to build a casino at Suffolk Downs. Suffolk Downs would then share the license with Wonderland. The deal allows Suffolk Downs to buy Wonderland, which it would then redevelop for commercial or mixed uses.
Massachusetts House
Massachusetts House of Representatives
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from single-member electoral districts across the Commonwealth. Representatives serve two-year terms...
Speaker
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
Salvatore Dimasi
Salvatore DiMasi
Salvatore F. "Sal" DiMasi is a former Democratic state representative in Massachusetts. The former Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives originally joined the state legislature in 1979, as a member of the Democratic Party...
, however, an opponent of casinos, said through an aide that he has not changed his opinion and would presumably urge the Massachusetts legislature to not allow casino gambling in the state. In late 2008, the Patrick administration announced that it was not focused on slots at the tracks or casinos, but that Patrick was "concerned about any job losses from any companies" and pledged to begin planning ways to assist or retrain track workers. By mid-2010, the administration announced that it would allow three full casino resort licenses to non-racetrack locations and in a last minute compromise, added a provision for one slot parlor that a racetrack could acquire through competitive bidding. When the house and senate proposed a bill with two slot parlors, Patrick vetoed it as he previously stated that he would only accept one parlor. As a result of the casino bill not passing, the owners found the continued operation of the park offering only simulcast racing to be uneconomical. Wonderland Greyhound Park closed its doors on August 19, 2010, laying off the remaining 75-80 workers.