Re: Racing Don't Need This! (695 Views)
Posted by:
rezlegal (IP Logged)
Date: September 10, 2015 08:10PM
In my opinion the far bigger long term threat to horse racing is the inevitable legalization of sports betting, which in my opinion will occur as soon the hypocritical professional leagues and NCAA figure out how to get their share of the handle such legalization would generate.The numbers sports betting generates in Las Vegas vs. betting on horse racing is huge. Putting draft kings and related existing sites aside, if some sort of sports betting on games were available, the 35-40 college games shown every Saturday on ESPN coupled with the NFL on Sunday would provide a very attractive alternative for those who enjoy betting.I see very few people in their 20's, 30's or 40's at Saratoga, Belmont, Las Vegas betting on horses. The Belaggio just redesigned its sports book and only a small section is now devoted to horse racing. While internet betting has been a boon for handle in horse racing, that will rapidly disappear if sports betting comes to the internet in states other than Nevada. (I still have no idea how the federal statute limiting the legalization of sports betting to only 4 states is constitutional.).