Santa Anita Seeks Return of 26 Seized 3x3 Terminals, Funds

Federal and state enforcement personnel and local police removed 26 Racing on Demand terminals from Santa Anita Park on Jan. 17, touching off a legal battle that could alter how California defines and regulates Historical Horse Racing-style wagers. The Los Angeles Turf Club, which operates Santa Anita, filed a petition in Los Angeles Superior Court on Jan. 20 seeking immediate return of the terminals and the funds inside them and asking the court to declare the wagers lawful when applied to concluded races.

The machines offered a $1 pari-mutuel "3x3" wager that paid out based on combinations drawn from past, concluded races rather than live events. The Turf Club's complaint argues the seizure was warrantless and unlawful and asserts the terminals operated under an approved pari-mutuel structure. The filing notes the California Horse Racing Board approved the 3x3 product for live races in April 2024 and that track officials consulted both the CHRB and the Attorney General's office throughout 2024 and 2025 without receiving a definitive objection before the Jan. 17 enforcement action. The complaint also says the Department of Justice issued a Notice of Intention to Destroy the devices unless the club obtained a court order.

The case pits regulators and law enforcement against a track operator defending a pari-mutuel innovation that blended historical racing concepts with traditional tote wagering. For bettors the dispute is direct: the seized terminals represented a dollar-entry pari-mutuel option that altered where and how fans placed wagers on past performances. For horsemen and workers, unions representing track employees blasted the seizure as harmful to jobs and local operations, arguing removal of revenue-generating terminals can affect purses, employment and day-to-day racing activity at a major Southern California facility.

At stake is the definition of lawful pari-mutuel wagering under state law and how regulators coordinate oversight. The Turf Club asks the court for a writ ordering return of the terminals and funds and for a declaration that the seizure violated the club's constitutional rights. The Department of Justice's intention to destroy the machines adds urgency to the litigation, pressuring the courts to resolve whether the 3x3 structure fits within California's pari-mutuel regime when applied to concluded races.

Beyond the immediate return of hardware and cash, the outcome could set a statewide precedent for tracks experimenting with Historical Horse Racing-style products and could recalibrate relationships among the CHRB, the Attorney General's office and enforcement agencies. For bettors, owners and employees at Santa Anita and other California venues, the case will determine whether a novel $1 pari-mutuel tool survives regulatory scrutiny or becomes an enforcement flashpoint that curtails off-track revenue options. The court's decision will shape the winter and spring wagering landscape and signal how innovation in horse racing can coexist with legal and regulatory limits.