Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corporation plans to close six of its eight New York betting branches on or about Oct. 31, following a board decision to pursue a consolidation that would leave locations in Williamsville and Gates open.
The proposed closures are the Auburn branch; Clinton in Cheektowaga; Empire in Penfield; Jamestown; Lyell in Rochester; and River in North Tonawanda. WROTBC intends to retain its Wehrle branch in Williamsville and Marway branch in Gates, preserving a physical presence in the Buffalo and Rochester markets.
The board’s action on Sept. 29 was an indication of intent to proceed with a recommended plan, rather than final approval. The corporation said the recommendation followed a multiyear review of the branch network’s long-term financial sustainability.
The six branches lost about $730,000 in 2025 and more than $700,000 through August this year. Their combined losses were projected to approach $1 million for the full year if they remained open.
The review considered each site’s operating performance and wagering activity, as well as property ownership and value, geographic coverage, customer access, alternative wagering options and long-term viability. WROTBC said its traditional branches had faced sustained financial pressures as technology and online wagering changed customer behaviour, even as Batavia Downs Gaming and Hotel continued to grow.
Byron Brown, WROTBC’s president and chief executive, called the proposal a decision that “was not made quickly or easily.” He said the branches had long been part of their communities, but that the corporation had to protect its long-term financial health and continue investing in its member municipalities.
The consolidation is expected, based on 2026 projections, to improve the corporation’s financial performance and increase distributions to participating municipalities. WROTBC is a public-benefit corporation serving 17 member municipalities across 15 counties and two cities in western and central New York; it distributes shares of wagering and gaming revenue to those local governments.
Thirteen employees would be affected. Management has invited their union to bargain in good faith over the plan’s impact, while board chair Crystal Rodriguez-Dabney said WROTBC aimed to provide as many options as reasonably possible for the workers involved.
If the board grants final approval, the corporation plans to obtain independent assessments of the branch properties it owns before marketing affected sites for sale. It estimates that sales could yield more than $2 million in net proceeds for future growth and capital needs.
The closures would extend a longer retrenchment of the retail network. WROTBC shut nine branches between 2020 and 2023, including six in 2020. Earlier reductions came as it expanded its 27-location EZ Bet self-service terminal network in bars and restaurants and its Batavia Bets online wagering platform.
An April audit by the New York State Office of the State Comptroller, which examined financial management from 2021 through 2024, found that the corporation’s board and management had not adequately planned and monitored financial operations. Its horse-racing and wagering operations deteriorated over that period, with handle down 34%, or $23.5 million.
The audit recorded 2024 revenue, net of payments to winning patrons, of $59 million and expenses and statutory payments of $52 million. It also found that revenue rose about 7% between 2021 and 2024 while operating expenses climbed 22%, and that local-government distributions fell to about $6.7 million in 2024, down 31% from the preceding year. The comptroller issued 16 recommendations. The audit also found that more than $1 million had been paid to 14 consultants without sufficient board approval.
