Ryan Dickey

The judge overseeing the pending class-action federal lawsuit over computer-assisted wagering (CAW) on Friday put a halt to "discovery" in the case, meaning that for the time being, the small-scale bettor who initiated the litigation back in October won't be able to go forward with the process of trying to gather evidence from some of the nation's biggest tracks and bet-takers who are named as defendants in the suit. The order by Judge Joan Azrack was entered into the electronic docket late in the afternoon of Feb. 20 without any...

In the days leading up to and after Christmas, parties on both sides of the pending class-action lawsuit involving computer-assisted wagering (CAW) have sparred in federal court over whether allegations that the nation's biggest racetracks have conspired with "insider" high-volume bettors to rig pari-mutuel pools at the expense of average horseplayers constitute valid claims under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). The defendants in the lawsuit-which include The Stronach Group (TSG), Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI), the New York Racing Association (NYRA), AmTote International, United Tote and Elite Turf...

In a statement issued Thursday, The Stronach Group owned Elite Turf Club, LLC, and AmTote International, Inc., have responded to a class action lawsuit filed last week against several Computer Assisted Wagering (CAW) related wagering entities under the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act ("RICO") and under state law, alleging they have "organized and participated in the corruption of the betting system to the detriment of the class." The debate around CAW players typically surrounds the edge they wield over regular gamblers thanks to their use of sophisticated technologies that...