Government’s plans to develop and regulate horse racing in the territory seem reasonable, and they are certainly overdue. After public consultations, we hope that they will be finalised and implemented soon.
Education and Culture Minister Myron Walwyn said last week that his ministry has been working with stakeholders to draft a proposed policy mapping the way forward for the sport.
This is good news. Currently, horse racing in the Virgin Islands is loosely regulated at best, and it has been beset by concerns about racing standards, the condition of the Sea Cows Bay track, the use of public money, and the treatment of horses, among others.
In many countries, horse racing is overseen by a legally mandated body. Here there is no such entity, leaving the BVI Horse Owners Association as the sport’s de facto authority.
Mr. Walwyn wants to change that, setting up an official commission that would shoulder various responsibilities, including governing, managing and regulating horse racing.
The benefits could be wide-ranging. As the minister intimated, the move should help raise standards, improve facilities, and capitalise on the sport’s potential as a tourist attraction and economic driver.
Moreover, a commission would be well positioned to tackle one of the most controversial questions about the sport: whether to allow parimutuel betting at the track.
Such systems, which pit bettors against each other without fixing the odds, are in place in the United States VI, Barbados, Jamaica and other Caribbean islands, as well as in the United Kingdom and the mainland US.
Here, past proposals to legalise the practice have been met with controversy. The opposition, however, seems to stem mainly from concern about gambling in general, and since betting is already commonplace on the sidelines of the Tortola track it seems sensible to consider legalising and regulating the practice.
This move could also be lucrative: By keeping a small percentage of the bets — a common practice at other tracks — the commission could raise funds to improve the race facilities, which are in need of repairs that currently must be funded largely by tax dollars.
Before any measures are implemented, however, government should consider public input. Already, Mr. Walwyn has rightly invited residents to submit comments to his ministry. We hope that public meetings will follow, and that stakeholders and others will weigh in.
Leaders have been trying for years to improve horse racing standards in the territory, but progress has been slow. Establishing a commission to take the sport forward under an agreed policy would be a major step in the right direction.
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