Texas horse and dog racetracks fear for their future after state regulators voted to bar tracks from operating “historical racing” machines.

On Thursday, the Texas Racing Commission (TRC) voted 5-4 to withdraw permission for tracks to offer so-called historical racing machines, which allow punters to wager on video simulations of past races from which all the identifying information has been removed.

Opponents of the machines have likened them to slots, and this is a state that doesn’t even allow brick-and-mortar casinos. Proponents have argued that the machines, which offer punters the opportunity to wager between races, help boost racing purses and are therefore essential to the industry’s survival.

The controversy over the machines has been brewing since the TRC approved their use in 2014. The machines were never actually launched, as state courts ruled that the TRC lacked the authority to expand gaming options without the legislature’s approval.