Setting the Record Straight: Video Lottery, Horse Racing, and the Future of St. Croix Racing

The restoration of horse racing on St. Croix is long overdue and deserves broad community support. Woven into the cultural fabric of the Virgin Islands, its return promises recreation, economic activity, and renewed community pride. On that point, there is little disagreement. Where recent public debate has diverged is on the terms of the proposed agreement between the V.I. government and Southland Gaming VI, Inc. (SGVI) to rebuild the Randall "Doc" James Racetrack — with critics suggesting the deal grants one operator extraordinary tax advantages, erodes regulatory safeguards, and tilts the playing field. A closer look at the record tells a different story. A Lottery in Trouble — and a Proven Fix The U.S. Virgin Islands is home to the longest-running traditional lottery in the United States. By the late 1990s, however, that lottery was losing money and unable to fund important government programs — the result of, illegal foreign lottery ticket sales, numbers rackets, and illegal gam...