Powers and Duties of the Board on Races
- Authority to prescribe additional rules subject to the Secretary of Interior’s approval.
- Enforcement of laws, rules, and regulations related to horse races.
- Responsibilities include ensuring proper construction and maintenance of race tracks, adequate sanitary accommodations, and an emergency clinic.
- Prohibition on use of devices, drugs, or stimulants to artificially enhance horses' speed or harm them.
- Supervision of race track or racing club officials and employees.
Licensing Requirement for Horse Racing
- Prohibition against conducting horse racing with betting without a license from the Board on Races.
- License issuance must specify the person/entity, place, and dates of allowed races.
- Board empowered to suspend or revoke licenses for just cause.
Licensing of Jockeys and Race Officials
- Mandatory licensing of jockeys, handicappers, starters, weighers, and officials by the Board on Races.
- Licenses are annual and may be withdrawn for incompetence, fraud, or rule violations.
Requirement for Automatic Electric Totalizator
- Horse racing entities with total betting exceeding P50,000 per day must use an automatic electrically operated public indicator system and ticket-selling machines.
- System records and displays tickets sold instantly and visibly.
Appointment of Official Starters
- Entities conducting races must appoint official starters.
- Stewards designate the starter for each race from appointed officials.
Duties and Powers of Stewards and Judges
- At least three stewards per racing day who may also act as judges of finish.
- Supervise race conduct, enforce rules, determine race winners including photo-finish where needed.
- Enforce penalties against offending persons connected with races.
Committee of Handicappers
- Must consist of at least three members appointed by the racing entity.
- Maintain complete records of horses, owners, and characteristics.
- Prepare race programs, group and handicap horses to equalize winning chances.
Appointment and Role of Field Inspectors
- Board appoints up to six field inspectors per racing day.
- Inspectors monitor for irregularities, fraud, or dishonest acts during races.
- Report violations to stewards promptly.
- Compensation paid from a special fund.
Appointment and Role of Track Auditors
- Board appoints auditors to verify accuracy of financial reports related to betting and dividends.
- Auditors report irregularities to the Board.
- Salaries paid from a special fund.
Jockey Qualifications and Enclosure
- Jockeys must meet Board-prescribed qualifications.
- Exceptions allowed for gentlemen or lady riders without licenses in special events.
- Jockeys must stay in a designated enclosure apart from the public before and after races each day, with limited communications.
Treatment of Multiple Horses from One Owner or Stable
- Horses from the same owner or stable entered in the same race are treated as a "field entry" and paired for betting.
- Tickets on any horse in the entry pay dividends if any horse wins.
- Handicappers may also group horses from different stables as a "field" entry.
Wagering and Dividend Computations
- Tickets may have face values from 50 centavos to 5 pesos.
- Dividends calculated on ticket face value, rounded down to nearest 10 centavos.
- If no tickets sold on a winning horse, dividends go to tickets on dead heat or next finishing horse; owner still claims stake.
Daily-Double Events
- Permitted to hold one morning and one evening daily-double event each racing day.
- Board draws the races by lot from specified races covering minimum distances.
- Maximum fourteen horses to run in daily-double races.
- Tickets not sold outside race tracks.
Announcement and Verification of Daily-Double Tickets
- Jockeys, weights, tickets sold per horse, and total sold announced via loudspeakers before each race.
- Track operators submit ticket stubs and betting info to auditors for verification.
Scheduling and Posting for Daily-Double Races
- Morning daily-double races run by 12:30 p.m., evening by 9:00 p.m., with second race following within 30 minutes.
- Tickets sold start after announcement of daily-double races.
- Ticket sales posted publicly every 30 minutes and announced through loudspeakers.
- Ticket sales close signaled by bell ringing.
Distribution of Totalizator Receipts
- 87.5% of gross betting receipts distributed as dividends.
- 12.5% retained by race organizers as commission covering stakes, prizes, jockey bonuses.
- Daily-double dividends distributed among holders of winning horse combinations.
- 0.5% of gross receipts allocated to special fund for Board expenses, unexpended balances revert to organizers.
Race Schedule and Timeliness
- Races must run promptly with intervals not exceeding 30 minutes from first race.
Appeals from Board Decisions
- Actions of Board under licensing provisions may be appealed to the Secretary of the Interior.
- Secretary’s decision on appeal is final.
Prohibited Persons from Betting
- Officials of racing clubs, race tracks, Board on Races members, and involved personnel prohibited from betting in races they conduct.
Admission Restrictions
- Minors under 18 not admitted unless accompanied by parents or guardians; betting by minors prohibited.
- Persons with weapons, intoxicated persons barred from race tracks unless official duty requires.
Additional Board Personnel
- Board authorized to appoint assistants and agents.
- Salaries subject to Presidential approval.
Bookkeeping and Inspection Rights
- Board or representatives may inspect books and accounts anytime.
- May require standardized bookkeeping methods.
License and Tax Certificates
- Tax collection officials may only issue tax certificates upon submission of Board license to operate.
License Fees
- Annual fee for licensed race track: P2,000 minimum.
- City/municipal license fee: P600 per race day.
- National tax: P300 per race day.
- Annual license fee for jockeys, handicappers, starters: P12 each.
- Horse owners pay P1 per horse per race; collected by race organizers and remitted with horse lists.
- Local governments may set higher fees with Presidential approval.