Re: Teflon Todd (592 Views)
Posted by:
TGJB (IP Logged)
Date: December 29, 2006 03:47PM
Sight-- I agree with the first half.
1-- Yes, the economics have to change. The way to do that is to increase handle. And that means dramatically lowering the takeout, which the tracks and state legislatures don't understand yet, despite getting hit over the head by rebaters.
Word is that Pinnacle handled just under $1 Billion on racing alone this year. Parimutuel handle in this country was 5-6 Billion.
2-- One of the mistakes racing has made is to go too far in the direction you want to go-- it markets itself as a sport. The difference between racing and other sports is that people (for the most part) go to sports to watch, not bet. If they do that here racing will go broke.
The model here should be poker, which is a gambling game of both skill and luck (like ours), and can be played in your own house any time you want. Poker recognizes that the gamblers themselves are the players, AND BOTH MAKES IT POSSIBLE TO WIN AND PUBLICIZES THE WINNERS. Very important. Racing is pushing a gambling event that is almost impossible to beat at full track takeouts in the information age, taxes the crap out of winners, and regards them as pariahs.
To paraphrase a line from North Dallas Forty, we are the players. The horses and jockeys are the equipment. This doesn't mean we shouldn't be concerned about their welfare-- we should. But the industry is driven by gambling, and the focus has never been on the gamblers and their needs and desires.