We received an email this morning from a player about slots. He relayed to us that we should be very proactive on alternative gaming here at HANA because that gaming is not brought into racing with a proper plan. He is right. Slots deals previously written have thrown our game for a loop. Slots decrease handle and we knew that before they were introduced. Slot tracks steal stock from non-slots tracks and hurts the game in jurisdictions like KY who are without them. Once again we knew that would happen before they were introduced.
Why is new legislation passed without a thought for the stewardship of the game? Who is looking after the greater good?
This morning we have another salvo, piercing the heart of horse racing handles: Sports betting has been passed in Delaware.
We all know that this will peel off players, killing their racing bankrolls, and hurt racing handles. I read nothing in this plan to help the racing customer. We are repeating the same mistakes we have with slots, and it seems once again, there is no one there looking out for the overall health of horse racing handles, and its growth when revenues from all these new forms of gaming are gone.
1 comment:
That's where the lack of a national body, or racing commissioner will really hurt US racing. tracks under private ownership will naturally only care about their own patch and their shareholders. Drugs harming the breed long term, players fallign away because the takeout is too high? Who cares, that doesn't show up in the annual report, not this year, not next year, maybe in 10 years' time when someone else is in charge...
Racing doesn't deserve to have the govt looking out for it. They've got too many of their own problems to worry about, especially when racing has allowed itself to become a very minor sport, apart from one day a year. Racing should be looking out for itself. Competition makes the market stronger. Those who can't compete in a competitve market don't deserve to be there...
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