Extension for Nassau in OTB suit

ALBANY -- A judge has granted another extension to the Nassau Off-Track Betting Corp. in its long-running legal fight with New York harness tracks, OTB officials said Tuesday.

Judge Guy P. Tomlinson gave the parties until Jan. 13 to try to reach a settlement, Nassau OTB chairman Joseph Cairo said. Tomlinson is seated in the state's fourth judicial district, which covers Schenectady, headquarters of the state Racing and Wagering Board.

The fight involves lawsuits filed by harness tracks against Nassau and other regional OTBs for annual payments of simulcasting proceeds since 2004. Nassau is liable for $4.5 million, the largest tab for any OTB in New York. The county faced an Oct. 31 deadline for paying $647,000, the amount the Racing Board says Nassau owes for 2010 alone.

"We anticipate, certainly before the holidays, sitting down and trying to settle this thing," Cairo said.