Fairmount1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
<<excerpted>>
>
> Yes, I won today. Yes, I did not have the winner
> of the finale. The point is the complete
> disregard for retail gamblers at every single
> step. It is getting more and more difficult to
> not walk away from a game I love.
> ______________________


I am struggling with the following -- what you describe is an own-goal unforced error. Unfortunately, there are way too many of these, but these are not irreversible and can be fixed if there is a will to fix.

The One Big Beautiful Bill tax surcharge on recreational player handle is an irreversible external attack on horseplayers writ large. If it is going in any direction, I can see it getting worse if Republicans preserve the trifecta in 2026. This thing is camouflaged, but it is a direct surcharge on anybody who bets horses whether you win or lose.

This is the type of thing that everybody who loves this game should be able to unite on. This is Sparta and Athens and Persia just showed up. I know that much to my chagrin, if the horsebetting gambling surcharge is going to stay in place for 2026, I am going to have to change my action entirely to contest playing and give up on pari mutuel betting. That invisible hand should be pushing a lot of people. That is not sustainable for the business.

When we talk about death spiral for this business, This threat is way more serious than all the other usual stuff we have been talking about.

This is really depressing. Here is an example of how depressing - the only bright side for me that I can see is that I am 61 years old and not 41 years old. That is not a great bright side.

I would love nothing better than somebody showing me that I am being the sky is falling type - I would love it if what I write is wrong.