Vernon Downs racetrack and casino may shut down by the the end of the year unless the state restores a tax cut received a few years ago, owner Jeff Gural said today.
The business, officially called Mid-State Raceway, filed a layoff notice with state Labor Department saying it may need to close its slot-machine casino and some restaurants by August, with the harness racetrack shutting in September and the hotel and other operations closing on or before Dec. 31.
The closing would eliminate 249 union jobs, the notice said. It would also cost about 40 non-union employees their jobs, Gural said today.
The harness track season, with races on Friday and Saturday nights, began in April and is scheduled to run through November. This is the track’s 70th season.
