Tag: OTB

Mar 10

2022

More OTB reforms in state legislature

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Another state lawmaker wants to cut the perks for Off-Track Betting officials in Western New York. Assemblywoman Monica Wallace, D-Lancaster, has introduced legislation that would stop any OTB board member from receiving any benefits, including health insurance, not authorized under state law. Her bill would also require regional OTB offices to file annual reports with the state gaming commission that itemize the purchase and use of any promotional item — including sporting event or concert tickets — valued at more than $50. While the measures would cover all five regional OTB operations in New York, they are clearly targeted to[...]

Posted 3 years ago

Mar 4

2022

OTB hires another pricey lobbyist

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Western Regional Off-Tracking Betting Corp. has hired another Albany lobbyist, this time with strong connections to one of New York’s most influential politicians — Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie.  OTB board members agreed last month to a four-month contract that would pay up to $15,000 per month to Patrick Jenkins, a longtime friend and former aide to Heastie, a Bronx Democrat.   Jenkins serves as president of the Albany based lobbying firm, Patrick B. Jenkins & Associates. He joins a team of OTB lobbyists that includes former state Assemblyman Sam Hoyt, president of  Upstate Strategic Advisors, and Mercury Public Affairs, based in[...]

Posted 3 years ago

Feb 14

2022

OTB reform bills pass first test

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Amid pushback from some county law legisislatures, a series of bills aimed at restructuring operations of the Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. have cleared their first legislative hurdle.  The the three bills, sponsored by Buffalo Democratic Sen. Tim Kennedy, moved through the state senate’s Committee on Racing, Gaming and Wager on Monday.  Kennedy introduced the bills last month in a bid to end what he described as “perverse dysfunction” within WROTB. His proposed legislation calls for a restructuring of OTB’s board based on population. It would also limit the take-home use of OTB vehicles by select agency employees and put[...]

Posted 3 years ago

Feb 1

2022

OTB striking back: Officials to fight reform effort

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Officials from the Western Regional Off Track Betting Corp. plan to fight one state senator’s efforts to reform their operation. Following OTB’s monthly meeting on Jan. 21, agency President Henry Wojtaszek told the Daily News in Batavia that he was directed by the agency’s board to explore options for challenging three pieces of legislation introduced by state Sen. Tim Kennedy. Wotjaszek hinted that one option could be litigation. Another could involve encouraging local lawmakers representing Western New York communities served by OTB to approve resolutions opposing Kennedy’s reforms. “You heard today that the board certainly doesn’t support a measure to[...]

Posted 3 years ago

Jan 13

2022

Kennedy proposes OTB reforms

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A series of legislative proposals announced Thursday by State Sen. Tim Kennedy are an effort to correct what he called “perverse dysfunction” at Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. Kennedy proposes three bills in response to an audit by the Office of the State Comptroller, he said. The audit criticized OTB leadership for a bevy of issues, including managers and board members improperly taking tickets to luxury suites at sporting and music events at Highmark Stadium and Keybank Center.  “There has been perverse dysfunction happening at the OTB and it needs to be addressed,” Kennedy told Investigative Post. The government-run, Western[...]

Posted 3 years ago

Sep 24

2021

Calls for OTB resignations

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Resign. That’s the message Niagara County Democrats are sending to top officials at the Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. after State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli this week faulted the organization for deficient oversight, poor leadership and shoddy record-keeping. However, the audits did not address a controversial health insurance benefit OTB provides to certain officials and its board of directors. That’s been referred to the Attorney General’s Taxpayer Protection Bureau.  “They ought to take a look and see if there’s criminal activity here,” said Chris Borgatti, chairman of the Niagara County Democratic Committee. “It smells like it.” The audits, released Thursday, confirm[...]

Posted 4 years ago

Sep 23

2021

Comptroller audits fault OTB

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 Officials at Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. improperly helped themselves to tickets for sporting events and concerts, and CEO Henry Wojtaszek failed to account for personal use of his agency-assigned car, according to a pair of audits published Thursday by State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. The audits, which confirm reporting by Investigative Post over the last three years, criticize officials at the state-created public authority for deficient oversight.  “The Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corporation needs to clean up its operations,” Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said in a statement accompanying the release of the audits.  “Revenues from the OTB are supposed to[...]

Posted 4 years ago

Aug 16

2021

OTB whistleblower files lawsuit

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The whistleblower fired by Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. filed a lawsuit last week that claims he was terminated for cooperating with state and federal investigations of his employer. Michael Nolan, OTB’s former chief operating officer, is asking a judge to award him $14.5 million for his treatment over the last two years, and to reinstate his employment, according to the suit.  The filing, submitted to federal court Aug. 12, names CEO Henry Wojtaszek and OTB Board of Directors Chairman Richard Bianchi. It says the pair “swiftly, aggressively, and austerely retaliated against” Nolan for speaking with investigators and testifying before[...]

Posted 4 years ago
Investigative Post