Wonderland Greyhound Park
As a result of a statewide ban on dog racing which took effect on January 1, 2010, the track offered simulcast wagering, and later closed completely on August 19, 2010.
The track laid off the remaining 75 to 80 workers and closed after Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick vetoed a gaming bill that could have allowed the park to add slot machines.
With the legalization of Parimutuel betting by the Massachusetts Legislature in 1934, the idea of Wonderland Greyhound Park was made a possibility.
In 1940, the two groups merged to form the Revere Racing Association, which was led by former Boston City Council president Edward M.
The track traditionally raced in the evenings only, at first beginning about Memorial Day, and closing the week prior to the opening of the "Topsfield Fair", a large 10 day agricultural fair operated by the Essex County Agricultural Society, which featured greyhound racing at its track in Topsfield, Massachusetts.
After the purchase by Joseph Linsey, the track petitioned for additional dates, and was essentially permitted to run year-round, with several days per week offering matinee performances as well as evening racing.
The greyhound "grading" system, instituted in 1946, provided a method for more accurate handicapping, resulting in increased handle.
The upper floor of the clubhouse offered a sit down dining room, which on weekend evenings generally required advance reservations and was known for the quality of its food.
In later years the track would be rented for pay per view boxing exhibitions on closed circuit television, and a sports bar type operation was offered with minimal success.
He quickly sold the track to The Westwood Group, operator of several large successful Boston area restaurants headed by restaurateur Charles Sarkis, and insurer James Kelley.
[1] Wonderland for many years operated successfully running at the same time as Raynham and Taunton, as the geographical distance was such that traffic made travel from Southeastern Massachusetts to the north suburban of Boston generally unfeasible.
[7] Wonderland experienced legal issues when the City of Revere attempted to collect overdue taxes and utility bills.
The track owed over two years' worth of back taxes and utility bills to the city, which threatened Wonderland with foreclosure if it failed to pay.
On August 13, 2008, a nearly two-year discussion ended with Richard Fields, the principal owner of the Suffolk Downs horse track in East Boston, Massachusetts.
[16] By mid-2010, the administration announced that it would allow three full casino resort licenses to non-racetrack locations and in a last minute compromise, added a provision for one slot parlor that a racetrack could acquire through competitive bidding.
[17] As a result of the casino bill not passing, the owners found the continued operation of the park offering only simulcast racing to be uneconomical.
