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Departure Leaves Racino Plans on Hold

LANSING, MI-The proposed $100-million Romulus racino is one of four that remains in limbo with the departure of state racing commissioner Robert Geake, whose replacement is not likely to be immediately named.

By Dan Heaton | Updated on December 28, 2004

LANSING, MI-A decision on which Michigan city will get a racino must wait at least a month. The outgoing Michigan racing commissioner, Robert Geake, says he will not award the lone metropolitan Detroit racing license before he leaves office Dec. 31, and Gov. Jennifer Granholm has not named Geake’s replacement.

Citing the “magnitude of the decision,” Geake says he would leave the decision to his successor. “Since the passage of Proposal I in Michigan, the applicants for the one remaining Detroit-area track license have amended their applications, essentially downsizing or delaying their original proposals,” Geake says. “These amended applications will require more analysis and investigation than can be completed in my remaining [time] in office. Therefore, I have reluctantly concluded that it will be most prudent to leave the final decision to the incoming commissioner.”

Michigan voters approved a ballot measure in the November election which requires both statewide as well as local approval for any gambling expansion, likely effectively killing the racino concept. Many considered the racino idea as a savior for Michigan’s horse racing industry.

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