EquiLottery president & CEO Brad Cummings presented his vision for a lottery game based on the results of live horse races to the California Horse Racing Board on Sept. 24 and after an extensive question and answer session was met with unanimous support to move forward with his efforts in the state. A letter to both the California Lottery and Gov. Brown’s office will be sent out in the coming days to reflect this support.
“Our board is always supportive of new ways to increase the popularity and financial viability of the racing product in California,” said California Horse Racing Board Executive Director Rick Baedeker. “We look forward to facilitating Mr. Cummings’ regulatory requirements in our state as he moves this exciting project forward.”
Among the items discussed during the presentation were revenue projections for both the lottery game itself and the impact on California pari-mutuel pools. Studies suggest that EquiLottery in its first year operating in California will generate $140m in gross revenue for the California Lottery while also delivering a $151m handle impact for California racetracks.
“We are absolutely blown away by the keen interest shown by these esteemed leaders in California horse racing,” said Cummings. “I appreciate their willingness to support our efforts as we work tirelessly to deliver a great new game that allows everyone to win — lotteries, horse racing, lottery players, and horseplayers. We are dedicated to bringing EquiLottery to the California market.”
Unveiled to the general public on July 9 of this year, EquiLottery has received significant attention across the globe, drawing interest from 29 states and provinces and across five continents. EquiLottery has also generated significant support from some of the top racetracks and racing organizations in California and beyond.
For a complete audio archive of the meeting, click here and go to and click on the Sept. 24 dateline.