Amid stalemate, Wolf warns he may suspend horse racing

HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Gov. Tom Wolf is warning that he may suspend horse racing in Pennsylvania in a week because a state budget stalemate has compounded the troubles of the State Racing Fund.

Wolf's spokesman Jeff Sheridan said Thursday that the four-month budget stalemate with the Legislature has left the state without the resources to prop up the fund. Sheridan says the administration will shut down racing Oct. 30 if a solution isn't reached before then.

Six Pennsylvania tracks offer thoroughbred or harness racing. A spokesman for Penn National, which operates a track in suburban Harrisburg, says a similar situation occurred in 2013 and a shutdown was avoided.

The fund pays for various state regularly functions over the industry and is funded by a tax on wagers, which have steadily declined for years.