The California government conducted a raid to confiscate 26 newly activated Racing On Demand gaming machines at Santa Anita Park just two days after their low-key launch by The Stronach Group. These machines, designed to boost live racing purses by using a 3-on-3 pari-mutuel wagering format approved by the California Horse Racing Board in April 2024, faced immediate legal challenges. The state’s Department of Justice and Arcadia police seized the terminals, asserting the machines were illegal gambling devices, while The Stronach Group maintains their operation is lawful under existing pari-mutuel wagering laws and is prepared to defend their position.

The dispute centers on whether the machines constitute legal pari-mutuel wagering or illegal games of chance, with Indian tribes—who control most gambling in California under a constitutional amendment—opposing the tracks’ efforts to establish slot-machine-like revenue streams. The tribes and state officials, including Attorney General Rob Bonta, have not supported the machines, leading to the raid and shutdown. The Stronach Group criticized the attorney general for a lack of prior communication, emphasizing their confidence in the legal basis for the machines, while tribal representatives called for Santa Anita to cease operations if the machines are indeed illegal.