We've been down this road before.

Legalizing sports betting will have a minimal effect on horse racing. There are locals all over the place, as well as offshore outfits. Some legal, some not. People are wagering billions of dollars right now.

Fantasy Sports is a game for suckers. The rake is prohibitive, the serious players have sophisticated programs to select the optimal lineups. Sure, you may get lucky and have a lineup win a few bucks. You aren't winning a million like those dweebs on the commercials. A very small percentage of players win the large majority of the prize money. Its popular now, lets see how popular it is in a few years when people realize they aren't winning.

Most people lose betting on sports. Its more entertainment than it is profitable. Its fun to watch a game with money riding on it. Same with Poker, most lose and the good players win. Its entertainment, until you really can't afford it or just get tired of losing.

It isn't difficult to bet on a sporting event, just choose a side. It isn't hard to play poker, its just hard to win when the other players are better than you.

Horse racing is different. You have to deal with odds, multiple horses per race (as opposed to 2 teams), multiple types of wagering (WPS< exacta, etc..). It takes work to have any idea of what you are actually doing.

You can watch a ballgame for 2-3 hours. You can sit down at a poker table and have a sociable experience with your fellow players. Horse racing? If you play semi regularly, you are by yourself in front of a computer screen. You have to Reeeaaallllyyyy love horse racing to do that.

The problem isn't sports wagering being legalized, fantasy sports, etc.. I play poker, I wager on sports, I was in a fantasy football league for 20 years before stopping in 2007. I do all of the stuff that would supposedly kill off horse racing, yet if I could wager on only ONE of the above its horse racing.

I enjoy the intellectual challenge, I enjoy wagering against the masses, I enjoy the possibility of large payoffs. I enjoy the excitement of a horse race.

The problem with horse racing is that they have done a poor job of educating new customers. When I see these idiots on television spewing forth about a large P6 carryover, that is the last thing they should do. Its like fantasy sports, a small percentage win the most money. Why does't TVG or HRTV produce a show that shows people the different ways to wager? Bet construction, i.e how to put together a P3 or 4 ticket, how to construct a tri or super ticket. etc...How about introducing them to different products, there are many different products that people use. Quit cramming the DRF down their throats, its not an easy publication to learn.

There are many products that can help novice players that are intimidated by the DRF. TG is obviously one of them. The learning curve for reading those are a hell of a lot better than trying to decipher a DRF. The daily product I use is a great product for getting to the heart of a race in minutes. We need to show people an easier and faster way to handicap. That is the way things are today.

P-Dub