Terms Used In Virginia Code > Title 59.1 > Chapter 29 - Horse Racing and Pari-Mutuel Wagering

• Advance deposit account wagering: means a method of pari-mutuel wagering conducted in the Commonwealth that is permissible under the Interstate Horseracing Act, § 3001 et seq. See Virginia Code 59.1-365
• Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Appraisal: A determination of property value.
• Bond with surety: includes the payment in cash of the full amount of the required bond and, in such case, no surety shall be required. See Virginia Code 1-205
• Breakage: means the odd cents by which the amount payable on each dollar wagered exceeds a multiple of $0. See Virginia Code 59.1-365
• Certificate: includes a certificate of deposit and a certificate of take. See Virginia Code 33.2-1000
• Certificate of deposit: means a certificate issued by the Commissioner of Highways and countersigned by the State Treasurer, stating that any sum or sums designated therein shall be paid pursuant to the order of the court, and filed by the Commissioner of Highways with the court wherein condemnation proceedings are pending or are to be instituted in lieu of the payment of funds into court, as provided in subdivision A 2 of § Virginia Code 33.2-1000
• Certificate of take: means a certificate recorded by the Commissioner of Highways with the court wherein condemnation proceedings are pending or are to be instituted, in connection with which the Commissioner of Highways has deposited funds with the court as provided in subdivision A 1 of § Virginia Code 33.2-1000
• City: means an independent incorporated community which became a city as provided by law before noon on July 1, 1971, or which has within defined boundaries a population of 5,000 or more and which has become a city as provided by law. See Virginia Code 1-208
• Commission: means the Virginia Racing Commission. See Virginia Code 59.1-365
• Commissioner of Highways: means the individual who serves as the chief executive officer of the Department of Transportation. See Virginia Code 33.2-100
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
• Department: means the Department of Transportation. See Virginia Code 33.2-100
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Dependent: means a son, daughter, father, mother, brother, sister, or other person, whether or not related by blood or marriage, if such person receives from an officer or employee more than one-half of his financial support. See Virginia Code 59.1-365
• Enclosure: means all areas of the property of a track to which admission can be obtained only by payment of an admission fee or upon presentation of authorized credentials, and any additional areas designated by the Commission. See Virginia Code 59.1-365
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• Fair market value: The price at which an asset would change hands in a transaction between a willing, informed buyer and a willing, informed seller.
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• Freedom of Information Act: A federal law that mandates that all the records created and kept by federal agencies in the executive branch of government must be open for public inspection and copying. The only exceptions are those records that fall into one of nine exempted categories listed in the statute. ^{Source: OCC}
• Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
• Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
• Handle: means the total amount of all pari-mutuel wagering sales excluding refunds and cancellations. See Virginia Code 59.1-365
• Highway: means the entire width between the boundary lines of every way or place open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular travel in the Commonwealth. See Virginia Code 33.2-100
• Historical horse racing: means a form of horse racing that creates pari-mutuel pools from wagers placed on previously conducted horse races and is hosted at (i) a racetrack owned or operated by a significant infrastructure limited licensee or (ii) a satellite facility that is owned or operated by (a) a significant infrastructure limited licensee or (b) the nonprofit industry stakeholder organization recognized by the Commission and licensed to own or operate such satellite facility. See Virginia Code 59.1-365
• Horse racing: means a competition on a set course involving a race between horses on which pari-mutuel wagering is permitted and includes historical horse racing. See Virginia Code 59.1-365
• Immediate family: means (i) a spouse and (ii) any other person residing in the same household as an officer or employee, who is a dependent of the officer or employee or of whom the officer or employee is a dependent. See Virginia Code 59.1-365
• in writing: include any representation of words, letters, symbols, numbers, or figures, whether (i) printed or inscribed on a tangible medium or (ii) stored in an electronic or other medium and retrievable in a perceivable form and whether an electronic signature authorized by Virginia Code 1-257
• Includes: means includes, but not limited to. See Virginia Code 1-218
• Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). ^{Source: OCC}
• Licensee: includes any person holding an owner's or operator's license under Article 2 (§ Virginia Code 59.1-365
• Locality: means a county, city, or town as the context may require. See Virginia Code 1-221
• Member: includes any person designated a member of a nonstock corporation, and any person who by means of a pecuniary or other interest in such corporation exercises the power of a member. See Virginia Code 59.1-365
• Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
• Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
• owner: includes persons owning structures or improvements for which an outdoor advertising permit has been issued by the Commissioner of Highways pursuant to § Virginia Code 33.2-1000
• Pari-mutuel wagering: means the system of wagering on horse races in which those who wager on horses that finish in the position or positions for which wagers are taken share in the total amounts wagered, plus any amounts provided by a licensee, less deductions required or permitted by law and includes pari-mutuel wagering on historical horse racing and simulcast horse racing originating within the Commonwealth or from any other jurisdiction. See Virginia Code 59.1-365
• Participant: means any person who (i) has an ownership interest in any horse entered to race in the Commonwealth or who acts as the trainer, jockey, or driver of any horse entered to race in the Commonwealth or (ii) takes part in any horse racing subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission or in the conduct of a race meeting or pari-mutuel wagering there, including but not limited to a horse owner, trainer, jockey, or driver, groom, stable foreman, valet, veterinarian, agent, pari-mutuel employee, concessionaire or employee thereof, track employee, or other position the Commission deems necessary to regulate to ensure the integrity of horse racing in Virginia. See Virginia Code 59.1-365
• Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
• Permit holder: includes any person holding a permit to participate in any horse racing subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission or in the conduct of a race meeting or pari-mutuel wagering thereon as provided in § Virginia Code 59.1-365
• Person: includes any individual, corporation, partnership, association, cooperative, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, government, political subdivision, or any other legal or commercial entity and any successor, representative, agent, agency, or instrumentality thereof. See Virginia Code 1-230
• Person: means any individual, group of individuals, firm, company, corporation, partnership, business, trust, association, or other legal entity. See Virginia Code 59.1-365
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• Pool: means the amount wagered during a race meeting or during a specified period thereof. See Virginia Code 59.1-365
• Principal stockholder: means any person who individually or in concert with his spouse and immediate family members, beneficially owns or controls, directly or indirectly, five percent or more of the stock of any person which is a licensee, or who in concert with his spouse and immediate family members, has the power to vote or cause the vote of five percent or more of any such stock. See Virginia Code 59.1-365
• Process: includes subpoenas, the summons and complaint in a civil action, and process in statutory actions. See Virginia Code 1-237
• Public law: A public bill or joint resolution that has passed both chambers and been enacted into law. Public laws have general applicability nationwide.
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• Race meeting: means the whole consecutive period of time during which horse racing with pari-mutuel wagering is conducted by a licensee. See Virginia Code 59.1-365
• Racetrack: means an outdoor course located in Virginia which is laid out for horse racing and is licensed by the Commission. See Virginia Code 59.1-365
• real estate: includes lands, tenements and hereditaments, and all rights and appurtenances thereto and interests therein, other than a chattel interest. See Virginia Code 1-219
• Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
• Retainage: means the total amount deducted from the pari-mutuel wagering pool for (i) a license fee to the Commission and localities, (ii) the licensee, (iii) purse money for the participants, (iv) the Virginia Breeders Fund, and (v) certain enumerated organizations as required or permitted by law, regulation or contract approved by the Commission. See Virginia Code 59.1-365
• Satellite facility: means all areas of the property at which simulcast horse racing is received for the purposes of pari-mutuel wagering, and any additional areas designated by the Commission. See Virginia Code 59.1-365
• Significant infrastructure facility: means a horse racing facility that has been approved by a local referendum pursuant to § Virginia Code 59.1-365
• Significant infrastructure limited licensee: means a person who owns or operates a significant infrastructure facility and holds a limited license under § Virginia Code 59.1-365
• Simulcast horse racing: means the simultaneous transmission of the audio or video portion, or both, of horse races from a licensed horse racetrack or satellite facility to another licensed horse racetrack or satellite facility, regardless of state of licensure, whether such races originate within the Commonwealth or any other jurisdiction, by satellite communication devices, television cables, telephone lines, or any other means for the purposes of conducting pari-mutuel wagering. See Virginia Code 59.1-365
• State: includes District of Columbia;

  (f) "Transit facilities" means all real and personal property located in the Zone, necessary or useful in rendering transit service between points within the Zone, by means of rail, bus, water or air and any other mode of travel, including, without limitation, tracks, rights-of-way, bridges, tunnels, subways, rolling stock for rail, motor vehicle, marine and air transportation, stations, terminals and ports, areas for parking and all equipment, fixtures, buildings and structures and services incidental to or required in connection with the performance of transit service;

  (g) "Transit services" means the transportation of persons and their packages and baggage by means of transit facilities between points within the Zone including the transportation of newspapers, express and mail between such points, and charter service which originates within the Zone but does not include taxicab service or individual-ticket-sales sightseeing operations;

  (h) "Transit Zone" or "Zone" means the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Zone created and described in Section 3 as well as any additional area that may be added pursuant to Section 83(a) of this Compact; and

  (i) "WMATC" means Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Commission. See Virginia Code 33.2-3100

• State: when applied to a part of the United States, includes any of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands. See Virginia Code 1-245
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Stock: includes all classes of stock, partnership interest, membership interest, or similar ownership interest of an applicant or licensee, and any debt or other obligation of such person or an affiliated person if the Commission finds that the holder of such interest or stock derives therefrom such control of or voice in the operation of the applicant or licensee that he should be deemed an owner of stock. See Virginia Code 59.1-365
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Town: means any existing town or an incorporated community within one or more counties which became a town before noon, July 1, 1971, as provided by law or which has within defined boundaries a population of 1,000 or more and which has become a town as provided by law. See Virginia Code 1-254
• United States: includes the 50 states, the District of Columbia the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the United States Virgin Islands. See Virginia Code 1-255
• Virginia Breeders Fund: means the fund established to foster the industry of breeding race horses in the Commonwealth of Virginia. See Virginia Code 59.1-365