Roman,

That's a great question. I would say there are a multitude of reasons obviously for people's motivation to play. Addiction, Competition, Desire for Money, Social Component, Intellectual Pursuit, Boredom, Etc.

Ultimately though, the best answer is likely the intellectual challenge is unmatched compared to all other gambling endeavors. Only so many blackjack combinations or roulette combinations can land on the table or the wheel. Some would argue horses running in circles with numbers on the back is the same type of situation. But quite obviously, when one is in tune with the handicapping, the game has logical outcomes that one can mentally find their way to **Predicting the future** (which I think is a powerful drug in and of itself especially when the game is making sense). AKA **Being Right!** Now add in the mental challenge of gambling on the outcome and deciding how to make a profit with so many wagering options and the complete picture of why it is such an amazing game is obvious. The horses are majestic, the sights and sounds are out of this world at the right race tracks both big league and minor league, and the social interactions are like no one else. But ultimately, the handicapping and gambling intellectual challenges are unmatched in other gambling choices including sports and poker.

A 2018 study from China suggested that older adults who participated in intellectual activities like betting on horse racing (among other hobbies like reading, board games, and cards) were found to have a lower risk of developing dementia. The study followed 15,000 folks over 65 in Hong Kong where we know racing is King. So, you can all tell your loved ones that handicapping and betting on the horses is payment for avoiding Dementia/Alzheimer's or at least delaying it. :)

While at Saratoga I took a quick gander in their little shrine behind FourStarDave for a few minutes while clearing my mind between tourney plays. A Mary Lou Whitney quote was on the wall and it said "Horse racing is where I feel most alive, and at home."

For me, that's the best answer for why I play. I think it is also true for many who don't even gamble on the game and are owners, jockeys, trainers, analysts, bloodstock agents, farms, etc etc.