ST. CROIX — After VIGL Operations LLC confirmed this week that it is in talks to open a casino in Antigua that would include a revenue-sharing partnership with the Antigua Turf Club, members of the Legislature of the Virgin Islands and horsemen from St. Croix shared their thoughts on VIGL’s potential business venture down island.
The senators and horsemen discussed VIGL’s plans for a casino in Antigua and its potential partnership with the horsemen in the island nation after the company failed to reconstruct the Randall “Doc” James Racetrack despite initially obtaining a franchise agreement in December 2016 that the company lost earlier this year.
Jason Williams, VIGL general manager of Racing Operations, said this week that the company was in preliminary talks for a casino venture in Antigua that would include a potential revenue-sharing partnership with horsemen from the Antigua Turf Club. He said VIGL has verbally agreed to transfer 15% of its casino profits to ATC that the horsemen would use toward the redevelopment of the racetrack, which has not operated since June 2022. Williams clarified VIGL is not developing the racetrack and has not signed any agreements.
READ MORE: VIGL Operations pursue casino venture in Antigua, profit sharing with Antigua Turf Club horsemen
Senators questioned VIGL Chief Financial Officer and Managing Partner Andrew Dubuque about the company’s involvement with horse racing in Antigua during a Committee on Culture, Youth, Aging, Sports and Parks meeting on September 20, 2024. Dubuque, who was vague about his responses, testified that the company did not have any definitive agreements in place.
At-Large Senator Angel Bolques Jr., who chaired the committee meeting last September, subpoenaed VIGL to attend after sending the company five invitations to testify before his committee without success. He said the VIGL officials avoided giving direct answers when questioned about Antigua.
“Now we’re learning through public reports and their own confirmation that they are in fact engaged in preliminary business dealings in Antigua, including a proposed casino and a profit-sharing arrangement with the Antigua Turf Club to support racetrack development,” Bolques said.
Bolques said the dishonesty is unacceptable, especially considering VIGL failed to fulfill its contractual obligations on St. Croix. He noted the executive branch had to take legal action to end the agreement it had with VIGL.
“For years, they promised to reconstruct the Randall ‘Doc’ James Racetrack and to establish a racino that would help sustain the horse racing industry in our territory,” he said. “And instead, they cited natural disasters, the pandemic, legal delays while quietly pursuing business opportunities elsewhere.”
The $20 million project to redevelop the Randall “Doc” James Racetrack included plans for grandstands, receiving barns, concessions, parade ground areas, and a casino with a bar and restaurant.
Michael Durant, a horse owner and breeder who is a board member of the Flamboyant Park Horsemen Association, said VIGL abandoned the project.
“We feel disappointed and let down because they promised us a lot of stuff and every time we go to sit down with them, they said they’re going to do it,” he said. “And when you look, they do some little minor thing and then stop. And they keep giving the same excuse.”
Durant said VIGL replaced the roofing on the stables only after getting pressured.
“We reached out as a government and horsemen, put trust in them and we got shafted for who knows why,” he said.
In addition to repairing the stable roofs, VIGL extended the racetrack running surface to 1 mile from 7 furlongs, or 7/8 of a mile.
Randall “Chook” Knight, a board member of the Flamboyant Park Horsemen Association, said it is unfortunate VIGL was not able to deliver on its promises.
“The only thing we can say we get out of them is getting the track extended to a mile and fixing back the stable roofs. After that, nothing. It was a waste of time. It was a disrespect.”
Dodson James, St. Croix Horse Racing Commission chair, spoke of significant hurdles in reviving the horse racing industry on St. Croix now that VIGL is no longer developing the racetrack.
“That’s very disappointing,” he said.
James said St. Croix waited for almost 10 years to get basically nothing.
“I know for sure we didn’t get a good deal in St. Croix like we should have,” he said. “We were promised a lot of things and everything fell apart, and we’re at ground zero.”
Senator Carla Joseph, who noted she urged Bolques to hold the September 20, 2024 meeting so senators could get an update from VIGL on the racetrack project, said it is troubling to her that it looks as though VIGL is taking profits it earns in the Virgin Islands and investing out of the territory.
“We can’t afford to have companies not reinvesting the money they make in the Virgin Islands in the Virgin Islands,” she said.
Joseph said VIGL has the right to invest in business ventures outside of the territory but stressed that the company should fulfill its contractual obligations with the VI government first.
Senator Novelle Francis Jr., who grilled Dubuque about VIGL’s plans in Antigua during last September’s committee meeting, said he respects the company’s decision to pursue the business venture.
“But nonetheless, I was a little bit disappointed that the efforts to get the horse racetrack on St. Croix had not materialized,” he said.
VIGL and the government reached an agreement that ended their partnership after the government sued the company in a complaint filed in Superior Court on January 27 for failure to meet contractual obligations. VIGL subsequently issued a statement on March 4 announcing the conclusion of its involvement in the racetrack redevelopment project.
Now that the racetrack is back in the hands of the government, Francis said it is up to government officials to ensure the track gets reconstructed, a promoter is identified, and horse racing returns to St. Croix.
James said the St. Croix Horse Racing Commission has discussed the possibility of issuing a request for proposals in coordination with the government to find a developer for the racetrack.
“I want to see the development of horse racing in totality, and not just horses running around the racetrack,” he said.
