Purses and slots

[cj]

The racing at Delaware is getting worse by the year. They hardly even run any races anymore. Anybody notice they are only running 7, or occasionally 8, thoroughbred races a day for several weeks now?

Slots look like an off brand band aid to the sport for me. I, for one, will be very happy when politicians realize they don't need tracks to rob the poor with slots.

[shanta]

I agree Cj.
Racing has become a freaking joke there.After being away for 2 years upon returning to racing in 2002 I can remember wagering there and telling friends how great it was with their 10 horse fields constantly. Steady swift decline since with this year being insane man.

When are some of these tracks going to close? That is what is needed.
Richie

[njcurveball]

Chester opened and now Phila Park has slots, so the bloom is off the rose at Delaware.

Worst location of a simulcast area around. They have the guy chopping cheesesteaks right next to it. So you get a whole day of banging for free there!

[Zman179]

We will all be better off when the politicians decide to separate the casinos from the racetracks. Let those racetracks that can't compete close for good and use the monies that were originally set aside for purses and use it to lower property taxes, or to eliminate toll roads, etc.

[shanta]

We will all be better off when the politicians decide to separate the casinos from the racetracks. Let those racetracks that can't compete close for good and use the monies that were originally set aside for purses and use it to lower property taxes, or to eliminate toll roads, etc.

:ThmbUp:

[DanG]

We will all be better off when the politicians decide to separate the casinos from the racetracks. Let those racetracks that can't compete close for good and use the monies that were originally set aside for purses and use it to lower property taxes, or to eliminate toll roads, etc.
Agree with the "red", :jump: but unfortunately the "blue" is a dream. :(

[bigmack]

I, for one, will be very happy when politicians realize they don't need tracks to rob the poor with slots.
Slots & nags are an odd mix. One is cerebral (for some) & the other is mind numbing. The legend that slot players are predominately poor is false.

Less than 20% of people that make less than $35K gambled in a casino in the last year.
The median HH income is $55K, almost 20% higher than non-gamblers.
In a typical casino, slots makeup 80% of their profits.
Of casino goers, 66% males and 81% fe's play slots.
Median age is 48 compared to US pop of 46.

What an outrage that DrugS appeared on PTW prior to you. A live satellite from Europe to NY would be something like $50-60K. A mere drop in the bucket for the budget on Serling's show.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u70/macktime/10_22_07_16_11_09.png

[jma]

The racing at Delaware is getting worse by the year. They hardly even run any races anymore. Anybody notice they are only running 7, or occasionally 8, thoroughbred races a day for several weeks now?

Slots look like an off brand band aid to the sport for me. I, for one, will be very happy when politicians realize they don't need tracks to rob the poor with slots.

Once the turf racing ends in early October, this is all Delaware has left. It's the same reason April there is so bad.

[Tom]

Agree with the "red", :jump: but unfortunately the "blue" is a dream. :(

Might as well keep the money going towards purses - the pols will only keep for themselves.

[cj]

In the beginning, the mantra was slots were great because bigger purses was going to equal more competition, bigger fields, higher quality, etc.

In the end, all it equals is more money for horsemen as they get bigger purses in pathetic fields of shit races. I thought slots would help, but boy was I wrong.

[badcompany]

Slots & nags are an odd mix. One is cerebral (for some) & the other is mind numbing. The legend that slot players are predominately poor is false.

Less than 20% of people that make less than $35K gambled in a casino in the last year.
The median HH income is $55K, almost 20% higher than non-gamblers.
In a typical casino, slots makeup 80% of their profits.
Of casino goers, 66% males and 81% fe's play slots.
Median age is 48 compared to US pop of 46.



From what I saw at the Saratoga Racino, the bread and butter for slots are senior citizens, mostly women, who have a lot of free time and some extra money to burn.

[rrbauer]

In the beginning, the mantra was slots were great because bigger purses was going to equal more competition, bigger fields, higher quality, etc.

In the end, all it equals is more money for horsemen as they get bigger purses in pathetic fields of shit races. I thought slots would help, but boy was I wrong.

Amen! More money for the tracks. More money for the horseowners. More misery for the broken-down horseplayers.

[Robert Fischer]

I remember when NBA basketball was not so popular. Even in the 70s, the NBA was no where near the business success it is today.

Instead of marketing itself on national television,:bang: the NBA went the smart route... - they gave their buddies contracts to put in a rubber floor in half the arenas, and they set out to run BINGO contests in all arenas!

Thank goodness HorseRacing has taken note and is following this BLUEPRINT for success.:mad:



MASS MEDIA = $$$$$$$$$$,Fans,Growth

[Wiley]

I was like you CJ, I thought when Deleware first had slots and higher purses and full fields it would help racing but given the current condition of racing there it seems to me when a track has to rely solely on it's purse distribution on wagering handle the tendency might be to improve the product so more money is bet. Now with slot subsidies that doesn't seem as necessary and the horseplayers once again lose out to a crappy product in facilities geared not to the horse player but to slot players.

[Tom]

No doubt slots have helped Finger Lakes, but they integrated the gaming sensibly and continued to grow the racing side of the businness. We have four key things here -

1. Slot money
2. A season
3. Free parking
4. Free admission.

The tracks has pushed money back into improvinf the whole place, both casino and racing. It is a far cry better place than before the slots came.
I can even sit at the bar in casino and bet races - and watch them on TV in the area. Or sit at a slot machine an arm's reach from a horse betting machine.
If I had three arms, I'd be KING! (slot, racing, beer) :kiss:

[NYPlayer]

We will all be better off when the politicians decide to separate the casinos from the racetracks. Let those racetracks that can't compete close for good and use the monies that were originally set aside for purses and use it to lower property taxes, or to eliminate toll roads, etc.

Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun are the most profitable casinos in the world. Word has it that Foxwoods sends over 30mil per month to CT from its slot revenue alone. 45,000 people per day go to the casino which is practically situated in the Middle of Nowhere CT. The buses will take to you from mid-town Manhattan to Foxwoods for $20 (it's a three hour drive). What racetrack even comes close to this performance?

Separate the casinos from the racetracks and you'll have wildly profitable casinos and near bankrupt or completely ruined racetracks. It's only a matter of time. The average gambler prefers casino games, especially slot machines, to just about every other gaming option out there. And then there's the fact that the casinos offer hotels, fine dining, shopping, and even theatre. And what do I have to look forward to at Aqueduct? Another slice of overpriced pizza to eat while the historic artwork and the real estate around the grandstand are sold to keep NY racing from going bankrupt. Thanks a lot NYRA.

[witchdoctor]

Slots look like an off brand band aid to the sport for me. I, for one, will be very happy when politicians realize they don't need tracks to rob the poor with slots.
Take a look at Blue Ribbon Downs in Oklahoma. Slots became available and the Choctaws bought it and made a Racino out of it. The Cherokees whose territory BRD was in and assumed that they would be able to buy it were
p!ssed. They opened up their own casino just down the road and now BRD is for sale and probably going under.

[Kelso]

In the beginning, the mantra was slots were great because bigger purses was going to equal more competition, bigger fields, higher quality, etc.

In the end, all it equals is more money for horsemen as they get bigger purses in pathetic fields of shit races. I thought slots would help, but boy was I wrong.

To me, the logic of more and better horses chasing fatter purses is sound.

If it's not ... why not? If it is, why isn't it working at DEL? Have newer connections been actively hampered from moving their operations to the track? Have prior barns been unable to expand?

What is the disconnect?

(And aren't the very small fields a relatively recent development ...only the past 2-3 weeks or so? Seems that way to me, but not certain.)

[jma]

To me, the logic of more and better horses chasing fatter purses is sound.

If it's not ... why not? If it is, why isn't it working at DEL? Have newer connections been actively hampered from moving their operations to the track? Have prior barns been unable to expand?

What is the disconnect?

(And aren't the very small fields a relatively recent development ...only the past 2-3 weeks or so? Seems that way to me, but not certain.)

Yes, the smaller fields are a recent development. As I wrote earlier in this thread, that is when turf racing ended. That removed two or three fields of 10 horses from each day's race card.

I always end up replying to these Delaware posts because it's one of the few tracks I win at, so I follow it closely. :) As far as why there aren't more horses in the races, it's hard for a small-time trainer to make any money there because there are a small number of trainers winning all the races. Klesaris, Gorham, Lake, Pecoraro, Ritchey, Anthony Dutrow, and McClelland are all winning 20% or better. The small-time trainers then get out of the game or run only a few horses, leaving small fields in most races. That's my take on Delaware's specific situation. Of course the new purse boosts in PA tracks haven't helped Del, but the short fields have been a problem for years and the PA tracks just got slots recently.

[cj]

Apparently, Delaware Park has now become the home of the match race. They ran three this weekend, though you weren't allowed to bet on two of them.

[cj's dad]

Now that we have a Dem. gov here in Md., the slots are coming-only a matter of time. LP and Pimlico will probably start off well and then die.

Originally in favor, I'm now opposed. Just shut down those that can't compete and move on. Most of the serious don't need to ever go to the track as they can wager from home. More comfie and cheaper too.

Maybe the bad horses, trainers, etc... will be weeded out.

[onefast99]

The purses are still pretty good at delaware. Philly has good solid purses, the Meadowlands purses are terrible and Monmouth isnt much better. Or go to Gulfstream where they are really bad for a track of that stature. Delaware needs to re-do their racing dates, stay open from May thru New Years eve.

[46zilzal]

The major problem with racinos is that once the slot money starts pouring in, racing becomes an after- thought.

[46zilzal]

Apparently, Delaware Park has now become the home of the match race. They ran three this weekend, though you weren't allowed to bet on two of them.
These STARTED out as match races or degenerated (scratches) to them?

[alhattab]

Mth pays $330k/day, more per day than Del. Similar races within $2k (I think NJ MSW is $36 and Del is $38?). Not sure what you mean.

[cj]

Monmouth is only paying that much in purses because the AC casinos are paying the tracks to not have slots.

[alhattab]

The purses are still pretty good at delaware. Philly has good solid purses, the Meadowlands purses are terrible and Monmouth isnt much better. Or go to Gulfstream where they are really bad for a track of that stature. Delaware needs to re-do their racing dates, stay open from May thru New Years eve.

CJ- I was responding to above comparison of purses at Mth vs. Del. It is inaccurate. Also not sure what difference is between paying purses with slots money generated on vs. off the racing site. Del was at $80k/day before slots, Philly around $120k. Mth was around $185-$200k.

The racing at Delware is horrible, and Onefast you want to expand the meet?

[Snow Chief]

Can't they organize an interstate Delaware Valley circuit with Delaware running Spring/Summer and Pha running fall/winter? That should equal less horseracing, which the pols and racinos don't really care about and create more competive/higher quality racing, which horseplayers care about. As for horsemen, the slots/simo build-up should produce great purses, they will just have to earn them.